Their Guardian Angel
by Black Raider
Summary: All his life, he believed himself to have very little worth in the world. He lived to protect and die protecting, nothing more and nothing less. But as he travels with these children, unwillingly creating a bond with each of them, perhaps he will find a new purpose and discover his true destiny.
1. Episode 13

**A/N: Hey all! Some of you might know me from my previous Digimon story "Child of Darkness, Children of Balance." Well, I'm back with another one! This one centers on the Digimon Frontier universe, as an AU where Sorcermon lives and joins the DigiDestined on their adventures. I feel like Sorcermon's a truly awesome character and those kind of characters don't get nearly enough screen time. I had been working on this story for a while and now I'm hoping to work on it while working on another story. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Episode 13**

"Sorcermon! Come here please!"

The ice Majin jumped a little, suddenly dropping the heavy book he held right on his foot. He sucked in a breath, putting the book back on its shelf, and half-limped, half-ran out of the castle library and to the throne room. He pushed open the doors and approached the three Angel Digimon in the room, going to one knee and bowing his head. His foot throbbed a little, but he tried to ignore it.

"My lords, my lady. You called for me?" Sorcermon said.

"Did our call startle you, Sorcermon?" Cherubimon asked with a knowing smile.

"No, no, of course not." Sorcermon shook his head a little.

"Drop another book on your foot?" Ophanimon chuckled warmly.

Sorcermon's face turned bright red, realizing they must've heard the _thud _of said book hitting his foot. "Um…yes, milady."

Ophanimon laughed again, of course not in a derogative way. "Forgive me, Sorcermon. But you are still the same Digimon we know, even when you Digivolved just a few days ago. It's a comforting sight."

"Thank you, my lady." Sorcermon said, still keeping his head down.

"Rise, dear Sorcermon." Seraphimon commanded. "We have an offer for you."

"My lord?" Sorcermon asked as he stood, staring in confusion at the angels before him.

"In the time you have spent in this castle, you have grown on us." Cherubimon said. "Though we assumed you would not stay here, it's starting to seem strange to imagine the castle without you. Your actions have proven yourself to be wise, brave, and caring of others. These gifts are not common, and you use them well. We decided we will reward you and your gifts with a special offer."

Sorcermon blinked. "What?"

"We'd like you to stay here, Sorcermon." Seraphimon requested. "As an advisor and servant to us, a caretaker to the castle."

Sorcermon's eyes widened a little, and then went downcast. He bowed his head, hiding his eyes behind the wide brim of his hat. "I am not worthy of such an honor. I am a lowly Digimon who has no worth in this world. You have been very kind to me, so I cannot accept anything more. I've imposed on you enough."

"You have not imposed on us at all." Seraphimon assured. "It would be an honor to have you in our company. Your experience and interactions with other Digimon would allow us to better care for the Digital World."

"We have an extra room in the castle." Cherubimon added. "You will be helping us take care of the Digital World. What do you think?" Sorcermon kept his head down, his eyes looking everywhere except towards the Mega Digimon. "Is there anywhere else you would rather be? A family waiting for you?"

Sorcermon sighed now. "No. There is no one. I have no family or even friends in this world. I don't have anywhere else to go….nor is there anywhere I'd rather be than here." At once, it felt like a boulder was lifted off his shoulders, and he raised his head to see Cherubimon and Ophanimon smiling at him. He could sense a positive aura off Seraphimon, so he could only assume the angel also smiled. "Now, if I do not fulfill my responsibilities, just throw me out. Do not waste your pity on me."

"Just be yourself, Sorcermon." Ophanimon said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You will do very well, I'm sure."

Sorcermon looked to Ophanimon's kind smile, and he allowed himself to grin as well.

His eyes flew open with a soft gasp, and he found himself panting a little. Sorcermon blinked a bit when he saw only whiteness, and he sat up to see snow falling in his room. "Oh not again." The Majin sighed. He knew his powers often reacted to his emotions when they got too intense. Though he didn't know when his emotions got out of control, he figured it was sometime in the middle of last night due to the couple inches of snow covering him and the entirety of his room. In fact, it still fell from the clouds that materialized at the ceiling, so he snapped his fingers and the clouds and falling snow disappeared. Sorcermon sighed heavily, his breath coming out in an icy cloud. Even when dressed in only his jumper and vest, the piles of snow covering him didn't bother him; it was the sorrow in his heart that bothered him. He felt something on his cheek and reached up to feel tears coming from his eyes. Sighing again, angrily this time, he wiped his eyes dry on his sleeve and rose from the bed. Shuffling a little through the snow, he approached his desk and brushed away the snow to reach the rest of his clothes. He pulled on his shoes, gloves, cape, and cowl, pinning the skull pin in place. Sorcermon peered into the mirror before him and straightened out his clothes, combing out his hair with his fingers and tying it back in its usual loose ponytail. He placed his hat on his head and took up his snowflake-topped staff, gripping the metal rod a bit tightly as he exited the room, deciding to clean up the snow later.

How long had it been? Months? Years? Decades? After so many silent days, he lost track how long it had been since it happened. Still, it didn't stop Sorcermon as went about his day, per the usual. He checked on Seraphimon, ate breakfast, checked on Seraphimon, did a little dusting and sweeping, checked on Seraphimon, and wandered about the castle, circling back a couple times to check on Seraphimon. But no matter how many times he checked on the angel Digimon, Seraphimon remained in that gem-like prison. He knew Ophanimon put him up there to protect him, but it just looked and felt like a prison to Sorcermon. He wanted nothing more than to free his master; free Cherubimon from his darkness; bring back Ophanimon from wherever she was now. He wanted everything going back to normal. To the way things used to be.

Sorcermon entered those familiar chambers and walked inside, leaning his head back to stare at Seraphimon above him. "How much longer?" He asked. "How much longer do you think it will go on? Will things just keep going to hell until everything's gone? Are things _ever _going to get better?" He waited, expecting an answer that would never come. So he dropped his head and slowly lowered himself to the ground, curling in a ball. "I miss the way things used to be. Ophanimon, you, and Cherubimon. The way everything was before Cherubimon was corrupted by darkness. Who's supposed to save us now? There is no one to help us. Only the Ten Legendary Warriors can stand up to Cherubimon, and they are gone. Nobody has seen them in far too long. I do not want to lose hope, so I will not. If need be, I will fight Cherubimon myself. I just don't know if—"

He froze, and then leaped to his feet and ran towards the front door. He could feel it; somebody trespassing on the castle grounds. With the past attacks from Cherubimon's forces, no doubt they were trying again. "When will they learn?" Sorcermon sighed almost pitifully, rounding the corner and finally catching sight of the front doors just ahead. There was something different about these trespassers; something he didn't sense from past intruders. But he knew he needed to protect the castle and Seraphimon no matter what.

The doors opened, and he was right there with his wand ready to attack. "Get back, Cherubimon scum!"

Seven figures stood at his doorstep. Two of them looked clearly like a Bokomon and Neemon. The other five were unlike any Digimon Sorcermon ever saw before, and they looked very similar save for their clothing, hair, and eyes: one with light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and blue and yellow clothing; another with blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and purple clothing; another with blue eyes, black hair and blue, yellow, and brown clothing; the fourth with blue eyes and darker brown hair, dressed in white and khaki clothes with a noticeably huge orange hat; the final one also had darker brown hair, with brown eyes and wearing red, brown, and yellow clothes with a pair of goggles on his head of all things.

_These aren't Digimon. _Sorcermon suddenly realized. _They're….. _"Human…children?" He whispered.

"Uh, isn't that Wizardmon?" the goggle-headed one asked nervously.

"But he's a different color." The one with the hat said, his tone indicating a young male.

"And meaner!" the larger-set one added.

"We can beat him!" the goggle-headed one said, glaring in determination. Sorcermon prepared to fight, ready to show them his true power. But he froze when the goggle head added, "Just like we beat Gigasmon!"

"Gigasmon?" Sorcermon asked. "He's one of Cherubimon's goons."

"Yeah." The goggle head nodded, lowering his fists.

Sorcermon narrowed his eyes, unsure about these newcomers. "So….you're _not _allies with Cherubimon?"

"Are you kidding?" the blonde one scoffed, the voice clearly feminine.

The black-haired boy stepped up. "Look, why don't you put that wand down, okay? We're all on the same side. Isn't that obvious?"

Though still a little wary, Sorcermon realized these children really didn't pose any threat to him or to the castle. He lowered his wand, secretly happy to encounter friendly faces. "This is what comes of fighting too much. Everyone seems to be an enemy. I apologize, friends. How did you find this place?"

"We got a message that told us all to come to the Forest Terminal." Goggle Head said. "But there was no one there, and when we kept walking we ended up here on your doorstep."

Sorcermon blinked. "A message…could it be?" It had to be true. Only _she _could get these children here and communicate to them. Sorcermon bowed courteously to the children. "My solitude has driven common courtesy from me. I apologize. My name is Sorcermon. Please, come in. I have something important to show you." He turned and journeyed into the castle, his guests following after a moment. The doors swung shut, making a couple of them jump. Sorcermon cracked a smile, sensing some tension from the children. Clearly they went through quite a few battles and other confrontations on their way here. Sorcermon led the way through the castle, the journey very silent.

"This place is beautiful." The blonde said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you." Sorcermon said. "This has been my home for a long time." The silence returned for a while. "So you are humans, not Digimon." Sorcermon guessed, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah." Goggle Head nodded. "My name's Takuya."

"I'm Zoe." The blonde said.

"J.P. for me." The larger set boy said.

"My name's Tommy." The young boy in the large hat said.

"Kouji." The raven-haired boy nodded.

"A pleasure to meet you all." Sorcermon nodded. "Never met a human before."

"Now you've met five." Neemon noted, only for Bokomon to snap his waistband. Sorcermon smiled again, though he didn't turn around. They just kept walking, to the one room Sorcermon knew would have the answers.

"Where are you taking us, anyway?" Kouji demanded after some time.

"To meet someone." Sorcermon replied cryptically.

"I bet it's a trap." Kouji scoffed.

"You think everything's a trap." Tommy noted.

"Caution is wise, friends. But only within reason." Sorcermon said wisely, finally stopping in front of what looked like a simple mirror, kind of like most everything else in the palace. "This is no trap; this is a prophecy. This way." He put a hand to the mirror and pushed, revealing the hidden doors he always knew about. But the children behind him gasped softly at the revelation, following the ice Majin into the room and the doors closing behind them. Sorcermon continued into the room, stopping right below Seraphimon before turning to the children, Bokomon, and Neemon.

"So where is he?" Kouji asked.

"Up there." Sorcermon gestured upwards, and they all looked up towards the trapped Angel Digimon. "Allow me to introduce our salvation: Seraphimon."

The kids stared at the gem-like case on the ceiling, barely able to see the Digimon within it. "Um, are we supposed to know who that is?" Zoe finally asked.

"Seraphimon was one of the three Celestial Digimon chosen to rule this world." Sorcermon explained.

"So what are we supposed to do?" Takuya asked. "He's all frozen up."

"Perhaps not for long." Sorcermon said. "There is a prophecy."

A new voice rang out, that of a woman's, and seeming to come from the kids' D-Tectors. _"Let your light shine as one." _Everyone jumped, looking around for the source of the voice.

Sorcermon looked around as well, his heart rate spiking. He hadn't heard that voice in so long, but he knew it well. "That was Lady Ophanimon! She's the one who asked me to watch over Seraphimon."

"Ophanimon?" Takuya asked. "She must be the voice that told us to come here."

Sorcermon looked back to the children before him, closing his eyes in thought. _I knew Ophanimon was behind this. Clever as she is, I'm not surprised. _"It's all falling into place. I brought you here because the prophecy says one day a group of wayward humans will free Seraphimon." He opened his eyes now, looking to the children almost hopefully.

"Typical." Bokomon sighed. "Humans get to do everything. When is _my _turn?"

"How about next week?" Neemon suggested.

"Be quiet." Bokomon droned.

The children thought for a moment, thinking about Ophanimon's words. "So what did she mean?" Kouji finally voiced everyone's thoughts.

"Hey, I bet it has something to do with our D-Tectors." Zoe realized. As if answering her, the kids' Digivice screens began to glow, and they pulled out the D-Tectors to stare in awe. The lights from the devices shot out like flashlight beams, hitting the walls and ceiling.

It clicked in Takuya's head. "Hey guys! Focus them up there!" He and the other children turned to Seraphimon's prison, guiding the lights from their D-Tectors to the gem-like object. Sorcermon waited with baited breath, praying it would work. The lights made contact with the prison, and a bright light and explosion erupted from the connection. The D-Tector lights and the bright explosion died to nothing, revealing Seraphimon's form freed from the gem and floating down to the floor.

"The prophecy….." Sorcermon breathed. _They did it. They really did it. He's free! _"Welcome back, Lord Seraphimon." Sorcermon greeted warmly as Seraphimon settled to stand on the floor.

"It's good to be back, my faithful servant." Seraphimon replied, a warmth in his voice that Sorcermon missed dearly. "You have done well."

"Thank you, my lord." Sorcermon bowed in respect, his smile hidden by his cowl but nonetheless there. He stood straight and tall, proud to hear his master's praise.

"Sorcermon, tell me. There is so little I remember." Seraphimon requested.

"My lord, when your defeat seemed imminent, Ophanimon was able to get you to safety." Sorcermon explained. "She sealed you away from danger so you could be revived, after the trouble had passed."

Seraphimon started a little. "Ophanimon! That's right! Has she been harmed? Why isn't she here?"

Sorcermon looked down, sadly remembering the fateful day Ophanimon left. "Truth is often unpleasant, I'm afraid. No one knows where she is." He pointed to the humans behind his master. "But these humans have been in contact with her, so all is not lost."

Seraphimon turned to said humans, and the children tried to not look timid before the majestic Angel Digimon. "_These _humans?" Seraphimon asked incredulously. "But they're only children."

"Yes, but they're also Legendary Warriors." Bokomon pointed out. "And if not for them, you'd still be stuck to the ceiling."

"Legendary Warriors?" Seraphimon repeated, sounding a little surprised. "Impressive."

Takuya couldn't hold it in anymore. Finally, they found someone who could help them, and after everything they went through it was time they found out just why they were summoned. "Hey listen, just what is going on here?" Takuya demanded. "We've been led all over, getting our snot kicked out, and we don't even know why we were brought into this crazy world!"

"Yeah, someone owes us some answers." Zoe agreed.

"And I think you're that someone." Kouji added. "So tell us what's going on!"

"Um, please?" Tommy piped up timidly.

_At least the young one has some manners. _Sorcermon thought.

Seraphimon turned to fully face the children. "Very well, brave ones. I shall tell you." The kids finally relaxed, waiting patiently for Seraphimon to begin. "If you want answers, you will have them. The story begins long ago, when Human Digimon and Beast Digimon warred against each other. Their battle laid waste to the Digital World, befouling what was once beautiful. But Lucemon appeared and brought an end to the fighting. For a time, he ruled in peace; but soon he was corrupted by his own power."

"My, this story sure sounds familiar." Bokomon noted.

"Bokomon!" the kids and Neemon scolded.

"What?" the white Digimon shrugged.

"The Ten Legendary Warriors arose to free the oppressed and abused Digimon." Seraphimon continued. "They battled valiantly, and after a fierce struggle they were able to defeat the tyrannical Lucemon. After peace was restored to the Digital World, champions were chosen to protect that peace: Cherubimon, Ophanimon, and myself. But, as before, our time of harmony was short-lived. Cherubimon wanted to control the Digital World by himself and so attacked me. You know the rest of the story thanks to Sorcermon. Ophanimon rescued me and brought me to safety here, where I have slumbered and regained my strength until I was awakened by you Legendary Warriors."

"Luckily, you came just when we needed Seraphimon most." Sorcermon said. "The Digital World is in a crisis. As you can see…." He held up his staff, the flat of the snowflake parallel to the floor, and a light shined from the snowflake ornament to show the Digital World. Only large pockets of the world seemed to be missing.

"Man, the Digital World looks like Swiss Cheese." Takuya breathed.

"And the future looks even more grim." Sorcermon said. "You see, Cherubimon has sent his minions to destroy it."

Seraphimon clenched his fists. "This is even more serious than I'd imagined. We must find Ophanimon at once."

The image disappeared from Sorcermon's staff, and he looked to Seraphimon. "Yes, my lord. Your combined might can surely defeat Cherubimon. And of course you'll have my help. While you slept, I felt that I have to, and I have dreamt only of fighting at your side against that evil creature."

Though he wore a helmet that covered his face, somehow Sorcermon could tell that Seraphimon smiled. "Dear, brave Sorcermon. You are a true friend. Thank you. Your courage gives me strength."

Sorcermon looked away, trying to keep his overjoyed emotions in check before it began snowing again. "I am as you taught me."

Seraphimon looked to the children, who smiled proudly now. "And I must thank you, for _your _courage. All would be lost were it not for you. But now I must ask that you do one more favor for me: before the fighting begins, go back to your own world." The DigiDestined gasped in surprise, clearly confused. "Your task is done, and it is too dangerous for you to stay."

"But we're Legendary Warriors." Takuya protested.

"Yeah, we can't just walk away now." Zoe added.

_CRASH!_

The DigiDestined whipped around and everyone looked to the door, now broken down to allow four figures to come in. The kids turned to fully face the intruders, recognizing one of them all too well. Sorcermon mentally berated himself; with everything that happened, he didn't think about protecting the gate to the castle.

"Good, whole brat brigade here!" Grumblemon sneered.

"And ready to fight!" Takuya assured.

"You better be." Grumblemon smirked. "'Cause me introduce other Digimon who defeat you! Ranamon."

"Charmed, I'm sure." said the female Digimon with aqua green skin and some sort of one piece, blue bathing suit. She also wore strange gauntlets, anklets, and a helmet in the same design and color of her swimsuit.

"Arbormon." Grumblemon introduced.

"You're in for it now, right?" The Digimon on the other side of Grumblemon spoke this time, looking like some sort of wooden doll with a circular mouth and sharp teeth, with only two yellow circles for eyes.

"And lastly, Mercurymon." Grumblemon finished.

The final Digimon stood taller than his compatriots, green in color with red and gold detailing. He had a large, round mirror attached to each wrist and another mirror on his stomach. He didn't have eyes; his face was also a mirror with a mouth that looked to be printed onto the surface.

"So, these be the whelps who hast given thee so much trouble?" Mercurymon scoffed, his accent thick with Shakespearean tongue. "Pathetic."

"Well, they tougher than look." Grumblemon protested.

"Verily." Mercurymon still didn't seem convinced, but kept his gaze on his opponents. "'Twill be utter delight to defeat thee, and to hand Seraphimon another dropping in Cherubimon's name."

"With so many options, I don't know where to start." Ranamon cooed.

"Enough of your meaningless taunts!" Seraphimon snapped, clearly angered. "Tell me where Ophanimon is! Now!"

"Me no care about her!" Grumblemon said. "Me just want Beast Spirit back! So give it!"

"Why don't you come get it, buddy?" Takuya snapped. The rest of the male DigiDestined stepped up beside him, all four of them pulling out their D-Tectors. They activated the devices, rings of fractal code appearing in their hands.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution!"_

A bright lights of fractal code engulfed the boys, and when it died Agunimon, Lobomon, Beetlemon, and Kumamon stood ready to fight. Even Seraphimon was amazed to see the transformation.

"The Legendary Warriors have returned." Sorcermon breathed.

Zoe stepped back behind him. "If that big doofus hadn't stolen my spirit, I'd show him a thing or two."

"Yeah, well did, and now I show you thing or three!" Grumblemon prepared his hammer.

Agunimon pressed his fists together, enveloping them in flames. "You sure you don't wanna get warmed up first? _Pyro Darts!_" He threw the fireballs, but his targets jumped away to safety.

Ranamon landed perfectly on her feet. "Ooh, he's feisty." She giggled when Lobomon fired a laser towards her. "You might as well just shoot at the floor, sugah." Once more, she leaped out of the way of the blast.

"_Thunder Fist!" _Beetlemon gave it his all, but Arbormon jumped aside.

"_Crystal Freeze!" _Kumamon thought for sure it would work, but Grumblemon moved away just in time.

"Thanks for the overwhelmingly underwhelming lesson in combat." Ranamon mocked. "Let me show you how it's done. _Draining Rain!_" She clapped her hands above her head, and a dark rain cloud appeared from her hands and into the air. It floated over towards the four Warriors and let out a downpour of rain. Once it hit them, it felt like something sucked away all the energy from them and forced them to their knees.

"_Roundhouse Punt!" _Arbormon released his foot on a cable, hitting each of the four Legendary Warriors and sending them crashing into the walls, the stone and mirror breaking and cracking. Zoe, Bokomon, and Neemon stared in shock, fearful for their friends. They began moving to the outskirts of the room, sneaking closer to their friends and wracking their brains for something they could do to help.

"That was too easy." Ranamon giggled.

"Right." Arbormon agreed.

"Go get your Beast Spirit, Rock Head." Ranamon teased. "Fetch."

Grumblemon growled a little as he approached the fallen Digimon. "Be careful, or you get smashed next, Ranamon!"

"Grumblemon, no!" Sorcermon suddenly shouted, reminding the evil Digimon of their extra two enemies in the room. "You cannot do this!"

"I beg your pardon?" Mercurymon scoffed, turning to face Seraphimon and Sorcermon.

The ice Majin stepped forward, a fiery glare in his eyes and hate in his heart. "You shall not lead us down the path of ruin! I've waited a lifetime to see peace restored to the Digital World, and you're not going to stop it from returning! _Crystal Barrage!" _He pushed his staff forward, ice shards shooting from the snowflake ornament and straight towards Mercurymon.

Mercurymon hardly flinched, holding up one of the mirrors on his wrist. "Thou art a fool." He sneered, the shards disappearing into the mirror. _"Dark Reflection!" _He held up the other mirror, and the now-black shards shot out and back at Sorcermon.

Before he could even realize what happened, the shards connected with Sorcermon's body and his staff, destroying it and sending shrapnel into his chest and arms. He cried out in pain, suddenly collapsing to the floor. Seraphimon ran forward to catch him, cradling the Majin in his arms. "Sorcermon!"

"Worry not, my lord." Sorcermon groaned painfully, his eyes squeezed shut as he fought the intense pain in his chest.

Seraphimon looked up to see Mercurymon lunging towards him, but he leaped up and out of the way with Sorcermon still in his arms. He flew across the room and landed between the DigiDestined and the evil Digimon, gently setting Sorcermon down to kneel on the floor. The Mega Angel Digimon turned to Grumblemon, Ranamon, and Arbormon, and suddenly the three Warriors felt nervous.

"_Strike of the Seven Stars!" _Seraphimon created seven spheres of energy in his palms and launched them forward, blasting the three enemies straight up into the ceiling and sending them crashing to the floor. Seraphimon looked to the Legendary Warriors behind him. "Please, I ask again that you return to your world and leave this to me!"

"There's no way we'll leave!" Kumamon said firmly.

"Yeah!" Beetlemon agreed. "Even if we wanted to, we don't know how!"

"I can't fight them and keep you safe! You must go!" Seraphimon urged. Already their enemies were beginning to get a second wind.

"Are you kidding?" Agunimon scoffed. "You can't fight all those guys by yourself! I mean, come on, you just woke up!"

"You need us!" Lobomon added.

Mercurymon noticed how protectively Seraphimon stood before the children-turned-Digimon, and how determined he seemed to keep them safe. "This foolish compassion be his weakness. Attack the humans and keep him distracted!" His companions prepared to fight again, ready to finish their opponents off.

"We should be fighting them!" Sorcermon urged, trying but failing to rise to his feet.

"Fine by us!" Grumblemon assured. "We fight you good!" He prepared his hammer again. Ranamon summoned another cloud. Arbormon readied his metal foot.

The four DigiDestined moved to fight, but Seraphimon stayed in front of them and moved first. _"Strike of the Seven Stars!"_

In the split-second between the preparation to strike and the action, Mercurymon suddenly appeared in front of the blow. _"Dark Reflection!"_

The attack was absorbed, and sent flying right back before Seraphimon could even react. He shouted in agonizing pain, the blast intensified to push right through his armor. The DigiDestined, Bokomon, Neemon, and Sorcermon gasped in shock. Sorcermon finally rose to his feet, staring in horror as Seraphimon seemed to freeze, and his fractal code appeared and circled around him.

"To the victor go the spoils." Mercurymon sneered, holding up one of his mirrors. Seraphimon's data streamed into the glowing mirror, absorbed by Mercurymon.

"No!" Sorcermon gasped, but his master disappeared before his eyes. _All that time….everything I did to try and protect him…..he's gone….._

To everyone's surprise, good guys and bad guys alike, something remained from Mercurymon absorbing Seraphimon: a large, blue-purple egg with a strange golden symbol on it. "Seraphimon turned into a Digi-Egg!" Agunimon realized.

Mercurymon still smirked triumphantly. "How ironic. Seraphimon sought to defeat Cherubimon, but now his fractal code shall be used for our ends."

"No, it can't be." Sorcermon stared at the ground, his soft voice full of despair. "The hope of the Digital World is gone."

"No it's not!" Zoe suddenly shouted, running forward and grabbing Seraphimon's Digi-Egg. She did a hairpin turn and ran back to her friends. "Maybe we can bring him back if we have his egg, right Sorcermon? Hey!"

Sorcermon's eyes widened and he looked up to lock his gaze on the Digi-Egg in Zoe's arms. _She's right!_ "Yes! We must protect that egg at all costs!"

"Oh, thou shan't get far." Mercurymon warned, him and his comrades moving towards them. "Trust me."

Sorcermon hardly heard him, his mind racing. "If we can get the egg to Ophanimon, she may be able to revive Seraphimon."

"All right, come and get it!" Beetlemon taunted as Zoe, Sorcermon, Bokomon, and Neemon moved behind the DigiDestined to safety. Lobomon, Beetlemon, Kumamon, and Agunimon stood protectively in front of their friends.

"Be not stupid!" Mercurymon snapped.

"What's the matter? You chicken?" Beetlemon taunted again.

"Yeah you big metal head!" Zoe chimed in, hugging Seraphimon's egg to her chest.

"Very well." Mercurymon mused. "Thy fate is sealed. We shall take it by unpleasant, painful, agonizing force."

As they spoke, Sorcermon felt along the walls for the familiar panel. _Where is it? Where is it? There! _A section of the wall disappeared to reveal a large red button, and Sorcermon pressed it quickly.

"Arrogance will be your downfall." Sorcermon told the evil warriors as the wall behind him began to crack. The mirror burst to reveal a bright white light, blinding the evil warriors and giving Sorcermon the time he needed to yank open the door in the light. He pulled everyone through the door and slammed it shut, freezing the lock and leading the way as the DigiDestined changed to their human forms.

"Where are we?" Neemon asked.

"Quick! This way!" Sorcermon ordered, leaping down the stairs and sprinting down the hallway. The others followed close behind.

"Well duh!" J.P. noted, seeing how the hall only led in one direction. Only Kouji looked back, noting the crashing sound that indicated Grumblemon bust the door down to follow them.

Sorcermon finally reached the end and pressed another red button on the wall. "You may escape through here."

A door slid upwards and opened to reveal a glass tunnel under the water, with a single rail resting in some water at the tunnel's floor and a Trailmon waiting for them. "Wow, a getaway Trailmon!" J.P. cheered.

"Thank goodness!" Takuya said gratefully. "Come on, let's go!" They jumped forward, Takuya and Kouji hanging off the sides of the Trailmon while Zoe, J.P., Tommy, Bokomon, and Neemon leaped into the cargo hold.

Zoe realized someone was missing and looked back to the door. "Sorcermon! Hurry up!"

Sorcermon remained at the doorway. "I'm not coming."

Zoe felt like a boulder crushed her. "What?"

"The egg is all that matters now." Sorcermon said, sounding almost mournful. "I must ensure its safety. Now go! There isn't much time!"

"You don't stand a chance!" Takuya cried, noticing Grumblemon, Arbormon, and Ranamon coming up behind the Majin.

"Take care of Seraphimon!" Sorcermon called. "He's our last hope."

"No!" Tommy shouted. "We won't leave you!"

Sorcermon ignored him and pressed the button to shut the door, turning to face his opponents as they charged forward. _I must give them a chance to escape with the egg. I have failed my master, but I will not let these monsters get their hands on him!_

Suddenly, Sorcermon felt something grab his ankle, and he looked down just in time to see a hand on his foot before it yanked him to the ground and dragged him out of the room, another hand swiping his hat just as the door closed.

"We're not leaving you." Kouji said firmly, placing Sorcermon's hat back on his head. "We're not going to lose one of our friends to those creeps!"

"Kouji, Sorcermon!" J.P. called. "Let's go!"

The two of them turned to see the Trailmon beginning to leave without them. Sorcermon turned to the door, raising his hands and moving the water around him to form an icy wall in front of the door. Kouji took the ice Majin's hand and they began running after the Trailmon as it began to pick up speed. The two of them jumped up onto the Trailmon, Kouji pulling Sorcermon up and pushing him into the hold with everyone else while he climbed back to the other side of the Trailmon to be opposite of Takuya.

"You should have left me behind." Sorcermon said. "I failed to protect Seraphimon; I deserve to die."

"No you don't!" Zoe said firmly, making Sorcermon jump a little. "You risked your life to save us and you were willing to take on those creeps to protect him. There was nothing any of us could do." Everyone fell silent as the Trailmon continued on, the door disappearing from sight after several seconds. Zoe knelt on the floor, still hugging the Digi-Egg like her life depended on it. "I can't believe this is all that's left of Seraphimon. I'm never gonna let this go."

"That egg may be the most important thing in the Digital World right now." Takuya said. "It's its last hope! So all of Cherubimon's forces are going to be gunning for it. But no matter what happens, we gotta protect it! Sorcermon already spent a lifetime watching over Seraphimon, so now it's our turn! I hate to say this, but it's up to us now, guys!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Sorcermon." Tommy assured. "We're going to bring Seraphimon back. I just know it."

Sorcermon nodded aimlessly, sitting in the corner and curling up into a ball. He hated showing weakness, but at the moment he hardly cared.

_I have failed._


	2. Episode 14

**Episode 14**

The ride on the getaway Trailmon quickly turned sour as it gained speed, lurching terribly as it made the turns in the tunnel. Kouji and Takuya hung on tightly, and everyone else inside the Trailmon sliding from one side of the hull to the other from the lurching.

"Hey bud! Could you possibly go any faster?" Kouji called.

"No problem." The Trailmon assured. "Just hang on to your bandana!"

"Kouji!" everyone complained as the Trailmon picked up speed.

"I was being sarcastic!" Kouji snapped at the Trailmon.

"Zoe!" Takuya called. "Is everyone okay back there?"

"We've all been better!" Zoe admitted. Finally, the Trailmon hit a smoother rail and the ride evened out. Everyone relaxed just a little bit, allowing their bodies to let go of the tension.

Bokomon stared at Zoe for a moment before approaching her. "May I have a word? I want you to give me Seraphimon's egg. I'll take care of it now." Zoe and Tommy stared at him in confusion, and quite suddenly the small, white Digimon took Seraphimon's egg. "I'm sorry, but I happen to know more about its special needs."

"Special needs? Like what?" Zoe asked.

"It must be protected and nurtured." Bokomon said, tucking the egg into his haramaki. "By someone with life experience."

"Have you been a mommy before?" Neemon asked.

"You sure look like one." Tommy noted, reaching for the egg.

Bokomon slapped the boy's hand away. "Hands off! We must wash our hands before touching the egg! Honestly, what were you thinking? You might get germs on him." He smiled at the egg. "Don't worry, baby. Mama will keep you safe from them."

"You will treat that egg with respect and dignity." Sorcermon ordered. "He is one of our three rulers to the Digital World and if any harm comes to him, I'll put you in your own personal icicle." The others reeled back a little, this being the first time Sorcermon spoke since they got away from the castle. Clearly he was still distraught over recent events, given the way he remained curled up in a ball in the corner.

Tommy moved towards Sorcermon, looking concerned, but the Trailmon made another sharp turn he fell and landed right on Sorcermon. The ice Majin caught the boy, but suddenly shouted in pain and grit his teeth. Tommy jumped, and Sorcermon noticed he really startled the boy.

"Sorry about that." Sorcermon said, pain evident in his voice.

"You okay?" Tommy asked.

Sorcermon nodded, looking down to see some tears in his clothing. "It would seem I'm still wounded from the fight."

"Well then I'm sorry." Tommy said. "If I hadn't fallen, I wouldn't have hurt you."

"I'm all right." Sorcermon assured. "Watch." He took off one of his gloves and cupped it over his mouth, breathing into it and causing it to glow with a soft white light. He pressed the light to his chest, wincing a little as his wounds healed and his clothing repaired itself. Once he finished, his hand stopped glowing and he pulled his glove back on. "There, see? All better."

Tommy smiled. "Wow. That's cool."

"There has always been a long history of water possessing healing capabilities." Sorcermon explained. "With my powers over ice, I am able to have some control over water as well. I also gained a talent in healing magic."

"So, can you heal Seraphimon?" Zoe asked hopefully.

Sorcermon looked down. "You can't heal the dead."

"He is not dead, Sorcermon." Bokomon assured, walking over to the Majin. He took Sorcermon's hand and gently pressed it against Seraphimon's egg. "Feel that? There is life in this egg, which means Seraphimon isn't really gone."

"We'll find a way to get him back." Tommy assured. "Trust us."

Sorcermon stared at Seraphimon's egg, rubbing it with his thumb. He could feel something moving in the egg, something radiating with life. He smiled softly. _He'll come back. There is still hope._

"Hold on, guys!" Takuya called. "It's getting rough again!" The Trailmon began to shake like an earthquake.

"Mama's got ya." Bokomon told the egg, though he also seemed to be comforting himself. "Mama's got ya. Mama's got ya." Tommy sat down, leaning closer to Sorcermon. The ice Majin looked to the boy for a moment before placing a comforting hand on the human's shoulder. The shaking continued for a while before it stopped. Everyone looked out to see if they stopped, but Bokomon suddenly shouted in terror when they saw the train flew right off the broken track. _"This is definitely not good for the baby!" _Bokomon cried.

"I always say one good track deserves another!" the Trailmon laughed as he landed on another track, putting on the brakes as he slid downhill. Bokomon looked close to fainting, much to the amusement of the DigiDestined, Sorcermon, and Neemon. The Trailmon stopped after a few minutes of squeaking brakes. "End of the line, and all is fine. Happy trails!" His passengers got off and waved goodbye as the Trailmon disappeared.

"My apologies for the ride." Sorcermon said. "That Trailmon was meant to be used for emergencies such as invasions, so we never really used it."

"That's pretty scary." Tommy noted. "He's gonna go backwards all the way home."

"We should get moving." Takuya urged. "Let's not give Grumblemon and those other creeps a chance to catch up." Everyone else agreed and they hurried up a nearby path and into another tunnel. They ran through the cave for a few minutes before Takuya noticed the literal light at the end of the tunnel. "Hey everybody! There's an opening up ahead!"

"Let's just hope it gets us outside." Kouji said. Unfortunately, Fate would not be so kind; the group skid to a halt to see a large cavern before them, made of rocks, stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns, and a pool of water. Not much else besides that.

"This doesn't look like outside to me." J.P. whined. "Does this look like outside to you?"

"Well duh." Zoe groaned. "It's an underground cavern."

"Where's the exit?" Takuya asked, looking to Sorcermon.

"Truthfully, I'm not sure." Sorcermon admitted. "It used to be here, I remember. But it's like someone sealed it or something."

"There must be one somewhere." Kouji said, he and Takuya running/sliding down the hill to the floor of the cavern.

"Hey, wait for me!" Tommy called, Bokomon and Neemon following the young boy as they trailed after the older boys. "If Grumblemon finds us down here, we'll be in big trouble!"

"Let him find us." J.P. huffed. "I'm not afraid of that stupid runt."

"Wow." Zoe said, sounding impressed. "Are you trying to impress me with a show of courage, J.P.?"

"I'm not trying to show anything!" J.P. protested. "Give me a break, will ya? Grumblemon stole your Spirit and I want to get it back. It's as simple as that!"

Zoe blinked in surprise. "I'm….uh….."

"Maybe we should just turn back and fight him and get this over with." J.P. added.

Zoe stared at the boy before her, wondering where such a bout of fierceness could've come from. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah, you better believe it." J.P. said.

Zoe knew there was one way to test the legitimacy of this. "Well, it's your funeral."

As expected, J.P. slumped and looked dejected. "Can I change my mind?"

"Let's just find a way out of here." Zoe suggested, sliding down the hill to join the others.

J.P. sighed, staring after Zoe for a moment before realizing Sorcermon stared at him. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing." Sorcermon shrugged. "Just observing the strange ways of human courtship." He slid down the hill after Zoe, leaving J.P. to just stand there and turn beet red. But he joined the others as they tapped around the walls and floors of the cavern, searching for some way to get out. But after several minutes of scrutinizing every part of the wall, nothing gave way or revealed a hidden door.

"Doesn't seem to be any give at all." Kouji noted. "These walls are made out of solid rock."

"Yeah, this stupid cave is a dead end." Takuya added.

"Guess we gotta go back." Tommy said.

"That's what I was saying!" J.P. sighed.

"There must be some way out of here." Sorcermon mused. "If the Trailmon took the right track, there should be a way out."

"I wonder if we passed an exit somewhere back in the tunnels." Zoe suggested. "It's worth a try."

A new sound made them all pause, and suddenly a stream of water shot from the small lake in the cavern. The water slammed into J.P. and Tommy, sending them slamming into a wall and to the ground.

"Tommy!" everyone cried. The water fell away to reveal their fallen friends, slumped against the wall.

"I don't feel so good, J.P." Tommy groaned.

"Ah geez! Are you all right little man?" J.P. asked worriedly. Then he realized something. "Hey, how come nobody yelled out my name?"

Sorcermon hurried to the boys' sides. "You two all right?" J.P. shouted in terror as a response, and everyone turned to see a column of water rising from the ground.

"Definitely…." Takuya gulped.

"Not good." Kouji finished.

The water finally fell back into the pool, revealing a whale-like Digimon with a set of sharp-looking teeth and quite the large mouth. "What's Whamon doing down here?" Bokomon asked no one in particular. "He lives in the ocean."

"Who is Whamon?" Zoe asked.

"He's a whale Digimon." Bokomon explained. "And he seems to be quite out of his element."

"I can't stand it anymore!" Whamon suddenly shouted, much to everyone's surprise. "Do you hear me? I can't stand it!"

"He's ordinarily a gentle Digimon." Bokomon mused. "Something really must be upsetting him."

"No kidding!" Sorcermon snapped.

"I wanna go home I wanna go home I wanna go home!" Whamon cried, sounding like a pitiful child lost in the mall. Meanwhile, he kept thrashing around and narrowly missing the columns that supported the roof of the cavern.

"We gotta stop him!" Kouji called.

Takuya didn't seem too excited about it. "Um, all right. I'm ready to go when you are." He and Kouji pulled out their D-Tectors, activating them.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Agunimon!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Lobomon!"_

The two Legendary Warriors jumped forward, landing right on top of Whamon. "All right, big guy. Just calm down." Lobomon soothed.

"Yeah what is the matter with you?" Agunimon demanded.

"Leave me alone!" Whamon ordered, throwing his head back and throwing them off him. But they jumped right back on the whale to keep talking to him. But they couldn't do much else besides that; attacking him wouldn't help nor would it leave much of a dent in the larger Digimon.

Sorcermon thought for a moment, trying to block out the sounds of the fight. _Without my staff, my magic is somewhat limited. But as long as the water is here…..._ "Lord Lobomon! Lord Agunimon! Stand back!"

The two mentioned Digimon stared at Sorcermon in confusion, but obeyed and jumped off Whamon. Sorcermon approached the pool as Whamon continued to thrash, focusing on the water rather than the Digmon in it. He took in a breath and let it out slowly, focusing his power, and suddenly put his hands to his chest and pushed them upwards. The water in the pool shot up into the air, carrying Whamon with it. The water froze solid, wrapping around Whamon's middle and holding him several feet in the air. He kept thrashing around and shouting, but even though the ice cracked a bit it stayed firm and kept Whamon in the air. Sorcermon gathered some of the water still in the pool and use it to carry himself up to the struggling Whamon. The DigiDestined, Bokomon, and Neemon watched in awe at the feat of magic.

"I wanna go home!" Whamon cried. "I wanna go home!"

"Easy, Whamon." Sorcermon soothed. "Just calm down."

"I wanna go home!" Whamon cried again.

"All right!" Sorcermon called over Whamon's cries. "We can help you!"

Whamon stopped shouting, his struggles slowing. "Really?"

"You and I are in the same boat, it would seem." Sorcermon said. "But maybe we can help each other. We can help you get home if you can calm down and tell us what happened, all right?"

Whamon finally took a deep breath and nodded, and Sorcermon lowered himself and the whale Digimon back to the ground. Whamon rested in the pool, looking much calmer now as Sorcermon returned to the DigiDestined.

"Well done, Sorcermon." Lobomon complimented. Sorcermon bowed in thanks.

"You seem to be feeling a little bit better now, Whamon." Zoe noted. "Can you tell us why you were so upset?"

Whamon still had the despaired whine in his voice, but he could finally explain what was going on. "Oh I hate this place! I just want to go back to my home! The ocean! Until very recently, I was swimming, happy and free out in the sea, not a care in the world! Then, one day I saw these delicious-looking glowing plants. I couldn't help myself; I decided to take a little nibble. They were good. But as I kept swimming, I felt the currents begin to pull me backwards towards the shoreline, and I fell into some sort of hole! Rocks came crashing down on me and I could hardly see a thing! Next thing I knew, I was stuck in this place. With no way out!" Whamon suddenly began crying, a great amount of tears pouring from wherever his eyes rested.

"Here we go again." Agunimon sighed.

"You don't have to be such a big crybaby." Lobomon added.

"He's sure losing a lot of water." Neemon noted. "Is that normal?"

"No idea." Bokomon admitted.

"This is embarrassing." J.P. sighed. "Does he really think all that blubbering is going to help him?" He suddenly winced, groaning in pain.

"Hey, are you okay J.P.?" Tommy asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine once I get this pain to go away." J.P. groaned again.

Whamon kept sobbing, stuttering over his words. "It's all my fault that you guys got hurt! I'm so sorry!"

"You're forgiven, all right?!" J.P. snapped.

Zoe approached Whamon with a kind smile. "Well at least you have some company now. We're stuck here too. Maybe, with your help, we could figure out a way to escape."

Whamon finally stopped crying, seeming to smile. "Okay!" Suddenly, the ground shook beneath everyone's feet, and Whamon shouted in despair as the water suddenly drained from the pool he rested in.

"Whamon!" Everyone cried out in worry.

"Now _that _is not normal." Bokomon gulped. Everyone tensed when they noticed something pushing through the ground, breaking through to reveal Grumblemon.

"Nowhere hide now!" Grumblemon laughed. "Me find you! Me so glad to see each other again. Only this time, me steal your Spirits good!"

"You're an annoying little gnome, you know that?" Lobomon growled.

"Yeah, what he said!" Agunimon agreed. "Oh, and by the way, you're not stealing anything from anyone ever again! We're not afraid of you anymore, Grumblemon!"

Grumblemon seemed undeterred, mimicking his opponents. "You will be!" He pulled a small, strange flask from under his shirt and opened it, throwing its contents out. A strange magenta dust spread across the cavern, and once it disappeared it created circular objects in the air. "You may think in Gigasmon scary, but me have other powers! You no defeat me! Your Spirits be mine!" The circles began to glow, and suddenly a Golemon appeared in every circle. "Me first to find you, so Mercurymon no will have you now! It too late for them! Meet my new friends!" Grumblemon laughed as an extra-large Golemon appeared underneath him, riding the rock Digimon. Looking around, the DigiDestined discovered themselves truly surrounded. Grumblemon laughed evilly. "Get them!"

The Golemon obeyed, lunging towards the children. "Let's turn these rocks into pebbles!" Agunimon called, him and Lobomon running into battle. J.P. and Sorcermon put themselves protectively in front of the others, ready to defend them if necessary. Agunimon and Lobomon destroyed every Golemon that came within range of their attacks, seemingly with ease. But for every one they destroyed, another quickly took its place.

J.P. pushed his friends back towards the wall, glaring at the oncoming Golemon. "Excuse me, gentlemen!" Bokomon whimpered. "We could use some assistance over here!"

"Be right there!" Agunimon called.

"We're on the way!" Lobomon echoed, the two of them running towards their friends. But a pair of hands shot out, grabbing each of the Legendary Warriors by their throats. Following the cables attached to the hands, everyone realized Arbormon joined the fight.

"Prevention is always the best medicine, right?" the Warrior of Wood chuckled.

"Hey!" J.P. shouted. "Let go!" He moved forward, but suddenly groaned in pain and hugged his stomach.

"No!" Zoe pleaded, running to J.P.'s side. "You can't fight in this condition!"

"She's right!" Bokomon added. "The best thing we can do now is hide!"

Neemon looked around. "Good hiding! You're invisible!"

"Over here, brainiac." Bokomon droned, drawing Neemon's attention to the rocks off to one side.

"Wow." Neemon complimented. "You're pretty fast, too."

"You meat head!" Bokomon snapped. "The only reason _I'm_ hiding is because I have to protect Seraphimon's egg!" Neemon cast a knowing look.

J.P. glared in determination. "I refuse to just hide and give up!"

"J.P., you're too badly hurt right now." Tommy protested. "Agunimon and Lobomon will think of something. We have to trust them."

Zoe pulled out her D-Tector, staring at it almost pleadingly. "Come on, Zoe, think. If only I could Spirit Evolve."

J.P. glanced back to Zoe, the pain still making his chest and stomach throb, but not as much as before. He looked over to see Arbormon pounding on Agunimon and Lobomon. The Golemon waited for their master's orders, but Grumblemon was too preoccupied with watching his enemies get the snot beat out of them. Agunimon and Lobomon began falling, their fractal codes appearing around them.

"I don't know how long they keep this up!" Tommy said worriedly.

"Sorcermon, can't you do something?" Neemon pleaded.

"Without my wand, my magic is limited." Sorcermon admitted with a frustrated growl. "What's worse, there's no water to use. But I will do what I can." But he paused when he saw J.P. stepping towards Grumblemon and the Golemon.

"J.P., what are you doing?" Tommy asked worriedly.

"Tommy." J.P. said, his voice full of strength and a little anger.

"Yeah?" Tommy asked.

"I'm going in." J.P. announced. "You watch out for Zoe."

Zoe and Tommy stared at J.P. "He's lost it." Zoe breathed.

"Yeah, he can't stop them." Tommy agreed.

"This is no time to be a hero!" Sorcermon warned.

Grumblemon laughed, as though the scene was classic comedy entertainment. "That it, piggy boy, Spirit Evolve! Fight me! Or is you too big?"

"He's just egging you on!" Bokomon called from his hiding spot. "Get out of there!"

J.P. still glared in determination. "I'm not gonna let him win. I won't stand here and let Grumblemon hurt my friends!"

"I'm with you!" Tommy said firmly, moving to stand beside J.P. "Sorcermon, you protect the others."

"Are you sure?" J.P. asked the young boy. Tommy nodded, a confident smile on his face. They turned to their opponents, preparing their D-Tectors.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kumamon!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Beetlemon!"_

"Go Golemon!" Grumblemon ordered. The rock Digimon moved in towards the new Legendary Warriors.

"You ready to rock these blockheads?" Beetlemon asked.

"Yup!" Kumamon nodded. "Let's roll!"

"_Thunder Fist!" _Beetlemon's first blow took out several Golemon at once.

"_Crystal Freeze!" _Kumamon's icy breath froze three Golemon solid before they burst to Digi-dust. In seconds, they took out the rest of the Golemon and turned to face Grumblemon on the final Golemon.

"I'm tired of playing with you." Beetlemon growled. "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done! _Thunder Fist!" _Beetlemon lunged for Grumblemon, but the Golemon he rode moved first.

"_Sulfur Plume!" _Golemon released a gas-like blast from his mouth, connecting with Beetlemon and sending him to the ground. He dedigivolved, and J.P. returned even more wounded than before.

"Human, fighting you not even worth my sweat!" Grumblemon laughed. "Arbormon! Take care of them while me get Spirit!"

"I'm on it." Arbormon assured, still pounding on Agunimon and Lobomon. "But first I gotta change into something more comfortable." The Digimon became surrounded by fractal code. _"Arbormon Slide Evolution! Petaldramon!" _A flowery, lizard-like Digimon stood in Arbormon's place now, looking to his two shocked opponents almost hungrily. "Much better."

Grumblemon looked to J.P., readying his hammer. _"Seismic Sledge!" _He leaped towards the boy, readying his hammer to crush the human's skull. J.P. stood there, too weak to move. Sorcermon jumped forward, putting himself between the blow and the boy.

"_Blasting Spout!"_

Everyone jumped as a shot of water slammed into Grumblemon and forced him to crash into a wall, causing the Warrior of Earth to slump to the ground. Turning to the source, they were amazed to discover Whamon almost floating in the air.

"Whamon." J.P. breathed, watching the water from the blast seem to dissipate to blue, sparkling dust that surrounded them. A strange object floated down in J.P.'s line of sight: some sort of figurine that looked like a living, blue and silver tank. "I can't believe it." J.P. kept staring at the figurine. _A Beast Spirit. Could that be mine?_

"No fair!" Grumblemon growled, pulling himself from the crater he made in the wall. "That Spirit mine!"

"Oh, so that's what it was." Whamon realized. "It did taste a little gamey for a plant."

J.P. kept staring at the Beast Spirit, watching its eyes begin to glow. The more he stared at it, the more he felt like it belonged to him, like it was a missing piece of himself that he finally found. He could almost hear the voice of the Beast Spirit, calling out to him.

"You can't have Spirit!" Grumblemon shouted, sprinting towards the Beast Spirit. "It's mine mine mine mine!"

J.P. finally came to his senses and pulled out his D-Tector, pointing it towards the Beast Spirit. "Not today! It's my turn to play!" A bright light shone from his D-Tector, drawing in the Beast Spirit and causing Grumblemon to hit the ground. J.P. stared at the new Spirit he now possessed, smirking. He held up a hand, and a sphere made of many lines of fractal code appeared.

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution! MetalKabuterimon!"_

MetalKabuterimon looked like a living tank, with treaded wheels and both of his arms made of guns. On his head was yet another cannon. Blue, yellow, black, and silver armor covered him head to toe, with only his bright green eyes giving indication of a living creature underneath the metal.

"Oh my!" Bokomon gasped. "It's the Legendary Beast Warrior of Thunder!"

"_Molto bené." _Zoe breathed. "J.P. turned into _him_?"

"_Bolo Thunder!" _MetalKabuterimon fired twin blasts from the guns on his hands, but couldn't quite control himself as he fired at the ceiling and knocked loose plenty of debris. Sorcermon leaped aside and dived behind a column as a blast came dangerously close to his head.

"Run for your life!" Bokomon cried, spurring Neemon, Kumamon, Sorcermon, and Zoe to follow him as they took off and away from MetalKabuterimon.

"He's completely out of control!" Lobomon called as MetalKabuterimon wildly let loose the blasts. "Head for cover!"

"Right behind you!" Agunimon assured as they darted out of the way of falling rocks. Petaldramon could barely move out of the way.

Grumblemon stepped back, suddenly afraid of the new Digimon before him. "No, please! Friend?"

MetalKabuterimon paused, glaring down at Grumblemon with his eyes glowing green. "You're no friend of mine, Grumblemon! You don't even understand the meaning of friendship!" He leaned down to rest on his gun hands, a targeting system opening in his back. _"Electro Cannon!" _A humongous blast fired from the cannon, hitting Grumblemon point-blank. The Golemon was destroyed, and Grumblemon shouted in pain as his fractal code appeared around him. His and Zoe's Spirits appeared in the code.

"_MetalKabuterimon Slide Evolution! Beetlemon!"_

Beetlemon approached his defeated enemy. "It's back to the egg for you, pal." He summoned his D-Tector, pressing a button to activate the tiny flame in the scanner. "Fractal code, digitize!" Beetlemon ran the flame across the fractal code, absorbing the data into the D-Tector along with Grumblemon's Spirit. Grumblemon turned into a glowing Digi-egg, which flew off and disappeared, while Zoe's Spirit returned to her.

"Hey, welcome back!" Zoe cheered, happy to have her Spirit back with her. A grunt of pain caught everyone's attention, and they saw that J.P. returned and slumped to the ground. "J.P.!" Zoe hurried to the boy, kneeling beside him. "J.P., are you all right?"

J.P. turned and smiled tiredly at Zoe. "Got your Spirit back. At least I did _something _to make you happy."

Zoe smiled softly. "That's so sweet. Thank you, J.P., I really mean it." Tommy, Bokomon, and Neemon let out a cheer for J.P., and even Sorcermon cracked a smile. But Takuya's shout made them pause and they turned to see the brunette and Kouji sprinting towards them.

"Didn't you hear me?" Takuya called in a panicked voice. _"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"_

Everyone looked up and suddenly the ceiling turned to fractal code, disappearing and allowing water to come rushing in. Nobody could do anything except scream as water crashed down onto them and completely submerged the children and three Digimon. Their vision became blurred and disoriented before going completely dark.

A tense silence.

"Did we die?" Tommy's voice asked in the blackness.

"Uh, I don't think so." Zoe said uncertainly.

"Smells like something did." J.P. noted. Suddenly, a light flooded into the space, and they discovered pink fleshy walls and what they assumed was a tongue underneath them. A set of teeth in a mouth parted to reveal the open ocean and cloudy skies.

"It's the ocean!" Tommy breathed.

"It's Whamon!" everyone realized, laughing when they realized the whale Digimon almost ate them. But the action saved their lives, no doubt about it.

"I don't know how you saved us, but thank you!" Bokomon said.

"Yeah, and welcome home, Whamon." Zoe added.

"Oh, I'm the one who should be thanking you!" Whamon said. "Without your help, I might've been stuck in that cave forever! Hold on, everybody! We should be reaching the island very soon."

Everyone jumped and looked ahead. "Island?!" Takuya yelped. But Whamon spoke the truth: an island rest a few miles ahead of them, and Whamon headed straight for it. Still, with Grumblemon gone and the sight of a lovely rainbow up ahead, it was hard to find anything to complain about. They could only enjoy the ride.

For now.


	3. Episode 15

**A/N: Hey! Hope y'all are enjoying the story! I realize that maybe Sorcermon's involvement isn't very huge or impactful, but I can assure you it will get better!**

**Take the time to leave a review if you have a free moment! Thank you for taking the time to read my work!**

* * *

**Episode 15**

Whamon got the kids as close to the shore as he could without beaching himself, and from there Sorcermon managed to make a frozen pathway to the sand. Once the kids got to the island, the path melted and they turned to wave goodbye as Whamon bid them farewell and swam off.

"So, there he goes." Kouji sighed.

"Nice of you to point out the obvious." Takuya scoffed softly.

"Don't be such boys!" Zoe giggled, jumping up on the rocks.

"My dear Zoe, what has gotten into you?" Bokomon asked.

Zoe smiled proudly, holding up her D-Tector. "You can't blame a girl for feeling good on such a beautiful day! Especially a girl who has her Spirit back!"

"And let us not forget who has a Beast Spirit now!" J.P. cheered.

"Let's hear it for J.P.!" Zoe laughed. "The Princely Beast of Thunder!"

"And Zoe, Princess of the Summer Breeze." J.P. added.

"And Takuya, King of I'm-gonna-be-sick!" Takuya finished, causing laughter amongst the others.

Tommy noticed someone missing and looked over to see Sorcermon standing on the edge of the rocks, looking out into the horizon. The young boy walked from his chatting friends to approach the Majin Digimon, standing beside him and staring at Sorcermon worriedly. "Hey Sorcermon. You okay?"

Sorcermon didn't answer for a moment, staring across the ocean. "The castle has been my home for so long, ever since I was very young. Sure, I left once in a while in company to one of my masters, but not often did I venture too long a distance from the castle." He sighed, staring almost longingly into the distance. "I've never been so far from home before."

Tommy stared at Sorcermon for a moment before smiling, taking the Majin's hand in his own. Sorcermon jumped a little, but Tommy kept smiling warmly. "Don't worry! You're with us now, so we'll keep you company. How do you think we feel? Our home is in a whole different world."

"You have a point there, milord." Sorcermon mused.

"We'll all get back to our homes soon. I know it." Tommy assured, momentarily ignoring Sorcermon calling him 'milord'. "Until then, we'll take care of each other!" Sorcermon stared at Tommy for a moment, but mirrored the young boy's smile as they rejoined the others. The group began walking down the beach, no specific destination in mind.

"You know," J.P. spoke up after a few minutes of walking. "I can't help but notice that it's summer and we're at a beach."

"I noticed that." Zoe agreed.

"Yeah!" Tommy nodded. "You know what that means?"

"Summer vacation!" the kids cheered, leaving their Digimon friends just a little confused.

"The waves!" Tommy cheered.

"Shell hunting!" Zoe gushed.

"Lots of sunshine!" J.P. whooped.

"Yeah!" Takuya cheered. "Put it all together and what do ya got? The beach, baby!"

"Takuya, aren't you forgetting something?" Kouji reminded him. "We're supposed to be on a mission here. We'd be stupid to let our guard down."

Takuya jabbed his elbow into Kouji's ribs. "Come on! You gotta lighten up, buddy!"

"Yeah, stop being a party pooper!" J.P. laughed, joining in the tickling of Kouji's ribs.

No matter how hard the raven-haired boy tried, he couldn't hold back his laughs. "Wait! Don't! I'm not, guys, I just think that…" He kept laughing.

"Yes you are." Tommy glowered a little.

The three boys finally paused, staring towards Zoe and Tommy. "It can't hurt to take a short break." Zoe pointed out. "We've earned it!"

"Zoe's right!" Takuya and J.P. said at once. "We _have _earned it!"

Kouji sighed. "Fine, whatever. I'm obviously outnumbered here."

"That's it, then!" Zoe cheered. "All in favor say 'aye!'"

"Aye-aye!" the kids called.

"Oh!" Neemon called.

"'Oh' indeed!" Bokomon pointed down the way. "Look!" Everyone followed his gaze to see some sort of beach shack near the water. Curious, the group ventured over to see it truly was a beach shack, like one seen on a Hawaii postcard. Banners hung outside the shack advertising food, changing rooms stood off to one side near a lifeguard chair, and a sign on the roof read "Toucan Paradise."

"What's summer vacation without a beach house?" Zoe shrugged with a smile.

"This is a little too convenient." Kouji noted.

"I don't know about that, but it sure looks awfully comfortable." Tommy said.

Quite suddenly, four figures appeared from inside the shack and before the group. They looked like large, brown feathered toucans with blue and yellow beaks and wearing something that looked like an egg but seemed to resemble a red jumper.

"Welcome!" the toucan Digimon greeted.

"Oh goody, it's the Toucanmon." Bokomon sighed. "Gaudy-looking creatures, but very timid. Their attack is Crazy Crest. Sounds rather silly, doesn't it?"

"Honored guests, we welcome you to Toucan Paradise!" said a Toucanmon wearing a white scarf.

"Thank you, Mr. Toucanmon." Tommy said politely. "We're honored you're honored."

"Yeah, we're honored but we're broke." Kouji pointed out.

"Oh please!" a Toucanmon wearing a green apron scoffed. "What's a few Digi-shackles among friends? And it just so happens that today everything is on the house! By which I mean free, not served on the roof."

Bokomon raised an eyebrow. "We know what it means." The two Toucanmon that spoke seemed to catch their mistake.

"Sorry! So sorry!" a Toucanmon in a chef's hat cried. "It was just a small joke! Very small!"

"It's okay." Tommy assured.

"No, no, no!" The final Toucanmon, wearing a safari pith helmet, cried. "We are humiliated! There is absolutely nothing we won't do to make it up to you!"

"Oh wow, really?" J.P. asked excitedly.

"Really, really, really, double really!" The four Toucanmon agreed. They ushered the group inside and quickly got to work, setting out several plates and bowls of food on a nearby table. The kids were plenty excited; the last thing they ate was that nasty noodle soup the Deramon made, so this looked like a feast for a king. They hurriedly sat down, followed by their Digimon friends, and started digging in with the Toucanmon standing by in case they needed anything.

"Oh man!" Takuya laughed. "I am so enjoying these overcooked ramen noodles with rubbery egg!"

"This is the best lumpy curry I've ever had!" Zoe smiled.

Kouji stared at his friends. "You're weird. Is that supposed to be a compliment?"

"Dude, don't you get it?" J.P. scoffed. "It's real food! Like home, not some kind of crazy, meat-tasting rabbit food."

"Every bit of it looks exactly what it is!" Takuya added. "Lumps and all! Besides, it's a beach house! The food could have sand and bugs and stuff all over it and nobody would care!"

"Bring on the bugs!" Zoe and J.P. teased.

"And sand!" Neemon cheered.

"And stuff!" Bokomon added, not fully understanding the children. "Bring on the stuff!"

Kouji only rolled his eyes and kept eating. "You humans have such strange tastes." Sorcermon noted. "I fear it will take some time to get used to it."

"Aren't you hungry, Sorcermon?" Tommy asked, munching on his food.

Sorcermon shook his head, his eyes hidden by the brim of his hat. "No, milord. I'm fine."

"Come on, Sorcermon." Zoe encouraged. "After everything that's happened, you must be famished."

"It's all right, milady." Sorcermon assured. "You eat; I don't need anything."

"Why do you keep calling us that?" Takuya asked. "All this 'milord' and 'milady' stuff? We're not royalty."

"Who's complaining?" J.P. shrugged, only for Kouji to elbow him.

"I was taught to respect those above me." Sorcermon explained simply. "You are all Legendary Warriors and I am a humble Majin. So I will treat you with the respect you deserve."

"Well yeah, but you're our friend, not a servant." Zoe said.

"It was my job to protect Seraphimon." Sorcermon said, still keeping his head down. "Now, in order to protect him I must also protect the rest of you. I wouldn't be alive right now if it weren't for you. So my life is yours, and I will give my life to protect you if need be."

"No!" Tommy suddenly shouted, making everyone jump. "Don't do that! We saved you because we didn't want you to die!"

Sorcermon didn't look towards the boy. "It was and still is my responsibility to keep the guardians of the Digital World safe. Right now, that's the five of you. If keeping you alive means the cost is my own life, so be it."

Tommy frowned. "Well fine! If you're going to serve us or something, then I have an order for you!" Now Sorcermon looked up to stare at the young boy; everyone else did too. "I order you to not die for us. Be our friend and be a member of this team."

"Being a part of this group means we look out for one another." Takuya added. "That means if you protect us, we do everything we can to protect you. None of this 'milord' and 'milady' business; call us by our names. You're our equal."

"I do not feel I am." Sorcermon said.

"You'll get used to it." J.P. assured with a smile.

"Just be our friend, Sorcermon." Kouji requested. "That's all we need from you."

"Now eat something." Zoe ordered, like a mother scolding her child. "I can hear your stomach growling."

Sorcermon started to relax, but a small part of him wished the ground would swallow him whole. "I'm not one for hot foods…."

"Then here!" Tommy reached across the table and grabbed a bowl of noodles. "It's cold sōmen; you'll like it!" He pushed the bowl in front of Sorcermon, smiling broadly.

Sorcermon looked back and forth between the food and the boy. Then he smiled. "It's a good thing you were all chosen to carry those Spirits; you all have something few warriors possess."

"What's that?" Tommy asked.

"Kindness." Sorcermon replied, smiling softly. The DigiDestined exchanged glances, but also smiled and continued eating.

"I'm glad you're part of our group, Sorcermon." Tommy said, gobbling down more of his food.

Sorcermon chuckled softly at the sight. "I am happy as well, Tommy."

Though even Sorcermon would admit the food could've tasted better, everyone ate for another half hour before they announced their fill.

"You ate a lot." Neemon told Bokomon, noting the empty plate and three bowls before the white Digimon.

"I'm eating for two now." Bokomon said, rubbing Seraphimon's egg. "My selfish days are over. If I must pig out, then so be it."

"You realize you're carrying an egg and not pregnant, right?" Sorcermon asked, a little weird-ed out by Bokomon's actions. "It's not like everything you eat goes to the egg as well." Bokomon didn't seem to hear him.

Everyone looked to the Toucanmon. "It was wonderful!"

"Don't mention it!" The Toucanmon said simultaneously. "It was our pleasure!"

"My tummy feels like a melon!" Takuya laughed.

"Tommy, did you get enough?" Zoe asked the boy. Tommy nodded.

J.P. looked ready to burst. "Oh, enough? Man, more!"

"Well, I guess it's time to split." Takuya announced, spurring everyone to stand from the table.

"We've imposed on you enough already." Zoe told the Toucanmon.

The white-scarfed Toucanmon hurriedly approached them. "Go on! Impose!"

"Please, we're begging you here!" the aproned Toucanmon insisted. "Impose, already!"

"Thanks, but we're stuffed." Takuya said.

"But you're growing kids." The Toucanmon in the pith helmet said. "It won't be long before you're hungry again. What kind of folks would we be if we let you leave without supper?"

"Supper?" Takuya scoffed. "Are you nuts? I won't be hungry for hours. I might never eat again!"

"You say that now, but after being in the sun…" the aproned Toucanmon warned. "I'm sure you will agree with me! And might I suggest you take advantage of our super-value summer special!" The DigiDestined's eyes followed the Toucanmon as he moved to a set of white drapes against the wall, pulling them open to reveal an armory of swimwear and gear.

"What he's saying is free beach rentals for everybody!" the Toucanmon in the chef's hat announced, much to the children's delight.

"Complimentary baskets are available for your valuables." The scarfed Toucanmon said. "So just go out and have a good time! Leave the worrying to us."

Though Sorcermon and Bokomon expressed some concern about staying for too long, they soon realized they were outnumbered as the kids hurriedly ran off to the dressing rooms to change. So, resigning to their new plan, the Digimon joined their human friends in the fun. Bokomon set up a chair in the shade of a large umbrella, Neemon buried himself in the sand, and Sorcermon settled down on the ground to meditate. But he jumped at the boys' sudden shout of "Banzai!" and they stampeded past him to jump into the ocean. Sorcermon only rolled his eyes with a small smile, resuming his meditation.

After a few minutes, Tommy came up to the ice Majin. "Hey Sorcermon."

Sorcermon opened an eye and tilted his head up enough to see Tommy but keep the brim of his hat over his face. "Yes?"

"You said earlier that you had powers of ice, snow, and water, right?" Tommy asked.

"Primarily, my talents lie in power of ice and snow." Sorcermon corrected. "But, seeing how both are water at their base, it could be said I have powers of water."

"So, can you like water bend or something?" Tommy began bouncing on his feet a bit. "That would be so cool! I used to watch this TV show at home that had characters who could control water."

Sorcermon chuckled lightly at Tommy's enthusiasm. "I can control water, or water bend if you will."

Tommy's excitement grew and he point to the ocean. "So you can bend that?"

"Yes, but not too well." Sorcermon admitted. "I can control whatever liquid that can freeze, but saltwater doesn't freeze as easily as freshwater does."

"Show me! Please?" Tommy gave his best puppy dog eyes, and Sorcermon gave in with a smile and a sigh.

"All right." Sorcermon stood, brushing the sand off his coveralls. "But don't expect anything too spectacular." He and Tommy stood at the edge of the water, watching the tide go in and out. Sorcermon took in a breath, letting it out slowly and focusing on the pull of the water. He brought his hands to his chest, palms up, and closed his eyes in concentration. Tommy watched in awe, unsure whether to keep his eyes on the water or on Sorcermon. Then, Sorcermon's eyes flew open and he pushed his palms skyward. Tommy, Takuya, and Kouji jumped as a huge waterspout shot from the ocean, accidently taking J.P. and the small boat he road in with it. J.P. screamed in surprise and terror as the spout pushed him eye into the air, disappearing in an instant and causing him to fall. He hit the water hard, bouncing out of the boat and into the ocean waves. Sorcermon's hands dropped, staring in shock for a moment before his expression turned to sheepishness. Takuya, Kouji, and Tommy cracked up laughing, Tommy holding his stomach.

"What the heck, Sorcermon?!" J.P. snapped as he hauled himself back into his boat.

"Sorry!" Sorcermon called. He rubbed the back of his head. "Should've known that wouldn't end well."

"Are you kidding?" Tommy still howled with laughter. "Let's see something else! Come on!"

Sorcermon stared at Tommy for a moment, as though to absorb Tommy's warm smile and happy demeanor. "Very well. But let's move away from Lord J.P., shall we?"

"Okay." Tommy nodded. "But remember what we talked about earlier? No 'Lord' stuff."

"Of course." Sorcermon agreed. Suddenly, a piercing scream rang out across the sand, and everyone whipped around towards the dressing rooms. "That was Lady….er, that was Zoe!" Sorcermon realized. Immediately, the boys swam in from the water and everyone charged for the dressing rooms, their minds racing with what could possibly be wrong. Takuya and J.P. hurried inside the shack.

"Zoe, what's wrong?" Takuya called as he yanked the door open.

"Are you okay?" J.P. added.

They stared in surprise and some embarrassment, J.P.'s nose beginning to bleed.

Zoe shrieked, holding up a towel to cover herself. _"Get out get out get out!" _She immediately began throwing various things at the boys, hitting their heads and forcing them to stumble out of the doors. Still outside, Kouji, Tommy, and Sorcermon could only stare and sweatdrop as they listened to the chaotic sounds from inside.

"I'm going to take a guess and say we shouldn't go in there." Tommy said.

"Agreed." Sorcermon and Kouji nodded.

Once Zoe calmed down and got dressed, everyone gathered outside to talk. "I am so sorry." Zoe said for the hundredth time, staring apologetically at the large bumps on Takuya's and J.P.'s heads.

"So what happened?" Kouji asked. "Why did you scream before?"

Zoe put her hands on her hips and frowned. "Because someone's a Peeping Tom!"

"You're kidding!" Takuya gasped, looking angry now.

"Let me at the creep!" J.P. growled. "How dare he?!" Tommy and Kouji cast glances at J.P., a look mirrored by everyone except Sorcermon. J.P. blinked. "What are you all looking at me for, huh?"

"You must admit it looks suspicious." Bokomon noted. "After all, you _are _the most likely culprit." Neemon nodded in agreement.

"He makes a good point, J.P." Takuya told the fuming preteen. "Why don't you just admit it?"

"Because I just didn't do it that's why!" J.P. snapped.

Tommy blinked in remembrance. "Come on, guys. It couldn't have been J.P. He was swimming with us the whole time, remember?"

"I forgot." Takuya, Bokomon, and Neemon chimed.

Kouji thought for a moment. "We all have the same alibi."

"Then by the process of elimination, it was no one?" Bokomon scoffed.

"Are you calling Zoe a liar?!" J.P. snapped.

"No, of course not J.P." Takuya assured. "It's obvious we're not alone here."

"Of course we're not alone, Einstein." Kouji huffed. "Did you forget the Toucanmon?"

"They seem to have forgotten about us." Sorcermon noted, looking around. "I haven't seen them since lunch." Curious, the group made their way back into the beach shack to talk to their feathered hosts. But they reached inside and found the entire building deserted. The clothing the Toucanmon previously wore lay strewn about, as though taken off in a great rush.

"Where'd they all go?" Tommy asked.

"Now _this _is suspicious." Takuya mused.

Kouji gasped. "Oh no!" He took off for the dressing rooms, the others close behind. The raven-haired boy pulled out his basket of clothing and began rummaging through it. But even when he pulled out every article of clothing, he didn't find the one thing most important. "The bird boys tricked us!" Kouji groaned. Tommy, Takuya, and J.P. mimicked Kouji's actions, shifting through their clothes and dumping most of them on the floor.

"Aw man!" J.P. moaned. "My D-Tector's gone!"

"Oh man, mine's gone too!" Takuya growled. "This is awful!"

"This goes well beyond awful, young man." Bokomon scolded. "How could you let those Toucanmon trick you like that?"

"This coming from the Digimon who ate several bowls of their food." Sorcermon muttered.

"Stop it! They fooled all of us." Kouji snapped.

"That's right!" J.P. and Takuya nodded.

"All right, enough!" Sorcermon ordered softly. "Let's just get after them as quickly as possible. They can't have gone far if Zoe caught them." The boys nodded, beginning to pull off their swimsuits when they realized the extra female in the room. They screeched for her to get out, throwing their baskets and coat hangers at her until Sorcermon could pull her from the room and to the safety of outside. They leaned against the wall of the shack, both of them sighing in tiredness.

"Sorry about all this craziness, Sorcermon." Zoe said. "You're awfully patient to deal with us like this."

"For saving my life, a small amount of patience is hardly repayment." Sorcermon replied. "I told you I would protect you all, as I was supposed to for Seraphimon. The fact that you are all children does not bother me. Besides, it's kind of nice to experience some excitement after so many years of solitude."

Zoe smiled warmly. "Thanks, Sorcermon."

Once the boys dressed, the group hurried off to try and track down the Toucanmon. Luckily, the bird Digimon left a noticeable trail of footprints to follow. They didn't need to go far before they heard the Toucanmon's voices chorusing over the ridge.

"_Oh Ranamon the ravishing!" _they sang, most of them off-key.

"All right! Hold it right there you thieves!" Takuya shouted as they approached.

The Toucanmon turned to finally see the DigiDestined pursued them. "Uh oh." One gulped.

"Just what do you mean by 'Ranamon the ravishing'?" Takuya snapped.

"Give our D-Tectors back to us right now!" Kouji ordered.

"No way, no how!" one of the Toucanmon snapped. "These little babies are our ticket to a date with Ranamon."

"Take it from me: you guys are delusional!" J.P. said. "Now give them back!"

"You can't make us!" A second Toucanmon scoffed. "Now scram!"

"Maybe _we _should scram." A third Toucanmon suggested timidly. The birds paused for a moment.

"Scramming!" they all squawked as they took off.

"Wait! Come back here!" Tommy snapped as the group gave chase.

"This is so dumb!" Takuya groaned, the DigiDestined chasing the Toucanmon all over the sand. But the sound of splashing water caused the DigiDestined to screech to a halt, looking out towards the ocean. "That doesn't look good." Takuya gulped. The group stared as spouts of water shot up, and standing on one of them…

"Oh dear, it's Ranamon!" Bokomon gulped. He quickly pulled out his book, checking for Ranamon's page. "She's the Warrior of Water and very evil."

"Well of course she is!" Takuya groaned.

"She sure has lousy timing." Kouji growled.

Ranamon smiled like a happy schoolgirl, but her tone held the slightest traces of malice. "What a pleasant surprise. I had so looked forward to seeing y'all again. I hoped to have my Beast Spirit to show you first, but everything happens for a reason. We can't have everything. Just be good little children and hand over your Spirits. I'd love to stay and chat, but frankly you bore me to tears. Now, how's that sound?"

Zoe glared. "Sounds stupid to me!"

"But we don't have our D-Tectors." Kouji hissed.

"I'll handle her." Zoe assured, her fierce glare locked onto Ranamon's sinister smirk.

"Zoe….." J.P. sounded worried, but Zoe didn't look the least bit afraid.

"Don't worry, J.P. I'll take care of her in no time." Zoe assured.

Ranamon's smirk faltered into an almost deranged glare. "Goody, goody. _This _is gonna be a treat." Suddenly, two of the waterspouts conformed to hurricane-like mini twisters and shot towards the group, swishing around in the waves but whipping the kids' faces with wind and water.

"Oh man, this was supposed to be a vacation!" Tommy groaned, holding onto his hat.

"This is very, very bad!" Bokomon gulped. "As long as she's near water, her offensive powers are exponentially enhanced!"

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing." Neemon said.

"I just said that!" Bokomon snapped. "Didn't I just say that?"

"I don't know." Neemon shrugged.

Zoe held her ground, glaring at Ranamon. "Water woman sure has a nasty temper!"

"Zoe, you can't!" J.P. begged.

"Look, I haven't been able to Spirit Evolve. I need to make up for lost time!" Zoe snapped.

"Oh goody goody!" Neemon cheered.

"Zoe, if you're going in there then Sorcermon's going with you!" Takuya ordered.

Sorcermon stared at the boy. "What? Exactly how am I supposed to help?"

"You said you could water bend!" Tommy reminded him, the boys forced to shout over the wind.

"Yes but I also said saltwater isn't easy to control!" Sorcermon countered.

"Please, Sorcermon!" Takuya urged. "I think we'd all feel better if Zoe went in with a little backup. Not because we think she can't do it, but because we all know Ranamon's bad news! You gotta do it!"

Sorcermon looked down. _But what if I fail? I tried going up against Mercurymon and he killed Seraphimon without breaking a sweat. I can't risk that again with Zoe. But then again, I too would feel better going into battle with her. _Swallowing his fear, Sorcermon nodded.

J.P. stared at the chaos around him. "I've never felt this helpless before."

"Just leave it to me!" Zoe assured, pulling out her D-Tector. She summoned the ring of fractal code around her hand and scanned it, beginning her evolution.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kazemon!"_

The winds and water died down so Ranamon could properly face her new opponent, and Kazemon took off into the air. "Come on, Sorcermon!"

"Right behind you!" Sorcermon assured, despite the lingering doubt in his heart. _I won't fail this time. She won't die like Seraphimon did. _He jumped into the water, creating a board of ice and riding it across the waves. The two of them faced Ranamon, ready to fight.

"Shugah, do you think you can take me on with just a puny Majin for backup?" Ranamon huffed.

"That's a silly question." Kazemon huffed back. "Of course I do, _shugah_."

Ranamon frowned. "So now you're gonna mock me?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. I'd rather fight!" She lunged forward to punch Ranamon, but at the Warrior of Water's silent command a whirlwind of water shot from the ocean and cut off Kazemon's lunge. Kazemon quickly flew off, desperate to escape the swirling waterspout before it caught her.

"Don't you want to play with me anymore?" Ranamon mocked as the waterspout split in two and continued to chase Kazemon. The tops of the spouts curved and shot towards Kazemon like arrows, missing her by inches. The spouts moved like sharks on the surface of the waves, shooting back up towards Kazemon as she neared a cliff. Sorcermon, still on his ice board, managed to ride up one of the spouts and freeze it solid as he went. Then he directed the frozen spout to crash into the second one, sending both of them into the cliff wall. Kazemon managed to fly up and avoid it just in time, catching Sorcermon before he could fall and gently setting him down on the water again.

"Nice one, Sorcermon!" Kazemon complimented. The two of them hurried back towards Ranamon, Sorcermon traveling faster than Kazemon. Sorcermon summoned some of the water around him, forming sharp icicles in the air and launching them towards Ranamon. Ranamon easily dodged the pointed projectiles, waving her arm in a sweeping motion that cause a large wave to crash into Sorcermon and send him underwater.

"Don't think that just because you can control water that you can beat me!" Ranamon growled as Sorcermon resurfaced with a gasp, quickly climbing onto his ice board once more. "You're still in my element, sweetheart!"

"You leave him alone!" Kazemon shouted, fluttering her wings faster to reach her friend. Ranamon sent a few more watery whirlwinds, but this time Kazemon didn't flee. _"Hurricane Wave!" _Spirals of wind shot from her fingertips, destroying the water whirlwinds.

Ranamon smirked now. "Well, you're actually pretty good at this."

"Oh Ranamon." Kazemon mocked. "That means so little coming from you."

"You little brat." Ranamon growled. "I'm going to take you apart wing by wing!" She summoned more water spouts, this time several of them that surrounded Kazemon completely and left no way to squeeze out without getting her wings wet and unusable. "Feeling a little more polite?" Ranamon teased as she caused the spouts to get close to Kazemon.

_I feel so useless! _Sorcermon cursed. _I'll never be able to freeze these things and if I make a move on Ranamon she might hurt Kazemon! What am I supposed to do now?_

Ranamon continued to chuckle, soaking up the moments before her victory. Then, she felt it; like an electric shock, something seemed to scream in her head. She gasped. "What's that calling to me? Could it be?" Instantly, she lost her focus, and the spouts around Kazemon fell to the ocean. "Out of my way, brat!" Ranamon screeched as she dived down into the waters below Kazemon, almost hitting Sorcermon on the way.

"Aw great!" Kazemon groaned. "What's she up to now?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good!" Sorcermon gulped a little.

Meanwhile, Ranamon swam deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean, straight towards a sunken shipwreck at the bottom. Something glowed from its hull, and Ranamon felt joy swell up inside her. "It really _is _my Beast Spirit. And the little thing actually looks happy to see me!" A bright light emitted from the Spirit as she absorbed it. _"Beast Spirit Evolution!"_

Above the ocean's surface, everyone could hear Ranamon's evil laughter as it suddenly morphed to take on a monstrous tone. A bright light shined from the ocean, only adding to the dread everyone felt. Ranamon's voice boomed from the ocean's depths. "It's all over now, honey! Too bad. I was actually starting to enjoy our little spat."

"What's happening?" Kouji asked, fear entering his voice.

"Ready or not…." The light died down and suddenly a large shape burst from the ocean. "Here I am! In all of my radiant beauty. Aren't you impressed?"

What burst from the waters was a far cry from what anyone would call "beauty." Ranamon's Beast Spirit gave her a giant, purple and white squid for a lower half of her body while her upper half stayed humanlike, almost like a strange version of a mermaid. Her upper half didn't look much better, with ghastly grayish-white skin, wild purple hair, larger breasts covered by patches of what looked like scales, and a helmet shaped like the top of a squid head. Her eyes took on a more reddish hue. Everyone's jaws dropped and their eyes went wide, from the DigiDestined boys to the Toucanmon up on the nearby cliff. None of them could believe how absolutely hideous this creature looked. Kazemon almost fell out of the air and Sorcermon had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Um….I'm _never _going to be able to un-see that." He finally said.

"I can see by your faces you still need convincing." The new Beast Digimon sneered. "Maybe you just need a closer look at sweet Calmaramon." Her two largest tentacles slammed down into the shallows, acting like feet as she advanced to the shoreline. "Because I'm happy to oblige!" She laughed maniacally, smashing palm trees and the sand underneath her as she advanced towards the DigiDestined boys, Bokomon, and Neemon.

The boys were still too busy staring to really react. "That is one ugly, uh…." Takuya murmured.

"She is not very nice, either." Tommy added.

"And she smells awful. Did you notice that?" J.P. grimaced.

"Who do you think you are?" Calmaramon snapped. "You can't insult Calmaramon and get away with it!" As though to prove her point, she began smashing things again and forcing the boys to run and take cover. Kazemon and Sorcermon quickly ran into battle again, and this time Sorcermon took his ice board and flung the whole thing like a Frisbee. But Calmaramon was quick to block the flying piece of ice and swung a tentacle around, catching Sorcermon and slamming him against a palm tree. He shouted in pain, fighting to break free of the large, slimy tentacle pinning him to the bark. Kazemon flew in, aiming multiple kicks towards Calmaramon but only meeting a similar fate to Sorcermon when her opponent smacked her to the ground. In a daze, Kazemon could only lay in the sand and groan painfully.

"Kazemon!" Sorcermon shouted.

"I'm so sorry, sugar pie." Calmaramon mocked. "Are you not enjoying our little dance? Too bad! Maybe I should turn up the music."

"Zoe! Look out!" Takuya cried.

"Ta-ta, honey!" Calmaramon finally released Sorcermon, slamming both of her tentacles on the ground to send her flying into the air. _"Titanic Tempest!"_

"No!" Sorcermon lunged forward, despite his body screaming in painful protest, and put himself between Calmaramon and Kazemon. But he and everyone else paused at Calmaramon's surprised shouts, realizing her attack sent her spiraling around like a top.

"This can't be right!" Calmaramon yelped as she continued to spin out of control, much to the DigiDestined's bewilderment. In fact, she spun so much that she flew off and disappeared over the horizon.

"Um, what just happened here?" Takuya finally asked.

"I'm guessing that Ranamon isn't any better at controlling her Beast Spirit than you lot." Bokomon said.

"Well then I'm guessing…." J.P. started.

"We're okay." Everyone else finished.

Zoe and Sorcermon approached the group, and Sorcermon suddenly found Tommy wrapping his arms around the Majin's stomach in a tight hug. "Are you okay, Sorcermon?" Tommy asked worriedly.

Sorcermon blinked. "Yes, I'm fine. A little bruised, but I'll live."

"Good!" Tommy stepped back and frowned, his tone full of scolding. "Because I thought I told you I didn't want you dying because of us!"

Sorcermon stared, then remembered how he jumped in front of Kazemon with the full intent of taking the brunt of Calmaramon's blow. "Tommy, I—"

"You gotta promise you'll never do something like that again!" Tommy ordered. "You have to promise that you won't die because you're protecting us! Promise me that!"

Sorcermon didn't know how to respond at first, looking to the other DigiDestined for guidance and support. But none of them made a move nor a sound, looking like they fully supported such a wish. Sorcermon looked back to Tommy, focusing more on the pleading look in the young boy's eyes. Smiling softly, Sorcermon knelt down to be more at Tommy's eye level. "You have my word. I will not die protecting you, but I _will _still watch over and guard you from danger."

Tommy smiled. "I can accept that!" He laughed as he hugged Sorcermon again, much to the Majin's surprise.

"Uh, guys? What happened to the Toucanmon?" Zoe piped up.

They all jumped a little in remembrance, but looked over to see only footprints. "Aw no. They're gone!" Tommy complained.

"Rats!" J.P. groaned. "I forgot all about them."

"Those feathered fan boys still have our D-Tectors." Takuya realized.

"The way they waddle, they couldn't have gotten too far." Kouji reasoned, taking off down the trail of footprints.

"Well then let's go get 'em!" Takuya urged, everyone running down after the Toucanmon.


	4. Episode 16

**Episode 16**

The group decided to search the old Toucan Paradise beach house first, splitting off to scour different areas in hopes of finding the gaudy Digimon. Takuya called out for the Toucanmon, pushing through the tall grass behind the shack. Kouji climbed a nearby tree to get a better look at the land around them. Tommy and J.P. searched near the ocean tide, but that only resulted in a small Crabmon pinching J.P.'s butt and having him run around screaming "Get it off!" as Tommy desperately tried to help. Zoe and Sorcermon searched the beach shack itself, with no better luck. Neemon looked in Bokomon's haramaki, also without luck.

Sorcermon wandered around in the kitchen, opening every cabinet and searching through every cupboard and under every table. But not a feather could be found. He continued searching, even checking inside the oven, but found nothing. Sighing, he stood up straight and scanned the area one last time. But his mind wandered a bit. _They trusted me to go into battle with Kazemon and help her defeat Ranamon. But even before she changed to her Beast Spirit I couldn't do anything. How am I supposed to protect these children if I can hardly fight? If only I still had my staff; then I wouldn't be so weak. But I was so angry and blind that I didn't think before running into a fight with Mercurymon, and it got my very weapon destroyed. How much more pathetic can I get?_

A low, sinister chuckle echoed through the room, making Sorcermon jump. He looked all around, expecting to see the Toucanmon or some other enemy. To his surprise, it turned out to be the latter. Glancing at his reflection in a nearby pan, he gasped softly in shock when his reflection disappeared to reveal Mercurymon. The evil Digimon reflection continued to laugh, the sound echoing throughout the room. Sorcermon stepped back and away from the pan, but jumped again when the sound came from behind him. Now no matter where he looked, all he could see was Mercurymon's image in every reflective surface. They laughed at him, the sound feeling like a dagger to his heart. Sorcermon tried to back up, only to hit the mirror attached to the wall. He couldn't remember a time when he felt so helpless, so small, trying so hard to block out the sounds of the laughs.

A hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

"_NO!" _Sorcermon screamed, whipping around and punching the mirror behind him. A blast of ice shot out when his fist made contact with the glass, sending spider web-like lines of ice into the mirror as it cracked. Sorcermon panted heavily, staring at his misconfigured reflection in the broken glass. The laughter and Mercurymon's images disappeared, leaving the ice Majin to his terror. He still panted a little, his eyes wild and his fist shaking as it pressed against the broken mirror. He could vaguely hear the sound of hurried footsteps, but he didn't turn until he saw multiple worried Zoe's in the mirror.

"Sorcermon, are you okay?" Zoe asked, looking quite concerned.

Sorcermon turned to Zoe, but mostly stared at the ground. "Uh…..yes, I'm fine." _Don't tell them. Don't tell them what you saw. It'll only worry them more. _Sorcermon rubbed the back of his head, forcing a sheepish laugh. "I thought I saw an enemy, but it turned out to just be my reflection. How very silly of me."

Zoe smiled kindly. "It's okay. It happens. But I guess you didn't find anything, huh?"

Sorcermon sighed. "No."

"Well, let's see if the others found anything." Zoe encouraged, gesturing for him to follow her. But when they met up with the rest of the group, none of them had any idea where the Toucanmon could be.

"It's no use." Takuya groaned. "We'll never find them! Let's just take a break for a while."

J.P. sighed. Zoe looked around to everyone's dejected and tired faces for a moment before putting on a smile. She approached J.P. "Hey, don't worry about. I'll bet you find your D-Tector real soon."

"Huh?" J.P. looked up. "What were you saying, Z?"

"J.P., weren't you thinking about your D-Tector?" Zoe asked.

J.P. looked a little sheepish if not nervous now. "Oh well…I was wondering if….you'd be like that."

"Be like what?" Zoe asked.

"Like Calmaramon." J.P. clarified.

Takuya sat up quickly, almost falling down into a nap. "Calmaramon? Where?!"

J.P. looked to Zoe. "I was just wondering if you'd be scary like that. You know, like when you got your Beast Spirit and all that." It was a compelling point. So far, none of them could really control their Beast Spirits on the first try. And just imagining what Zoe would do as a Beast Digimon was enough to terrify anybody.

Zoe frowned. "Stop that! I can't believe you guys would think something like that! I'm nothing like her."

"Of course." Neemon whimpered.

"Hey! Say that like you mean it!" Zoe ordered, snapping Neemon's waistband.

"He's not saying you're evil or anything." Takuya soothed. "Just that Beast Spirits are hard to control."

"Yes. Remember what happened with Takuya?" Bokomon reminded her.

"What happened?" Sorcermon asked.

"He went really crazy and almost killed Tommy." J.P. said, only to earn a bop on the head from said little boy.

"He did not!" Tommy huffed. "He just went a little out of control."

"I suppose that makes sense." Sorcermon shrugged a little. "Not to be rude or anything, but more often than not Beast Digimon tend to be…..well, wilder."

Zoe put on a proud smirk. "I'll always be a cool and beautiful girl Digimon. That I know."

"But how?" Tommy asked.

"Because I'm a girl! And girls know how to handle power when they need to." Zoe said determinedly.

J.P. and Tommy yelped in terror. "Scary!" Neemon agreed.

"_Knock it off!" _Zoe shouted. _"Having power does not make you scary!"_

"Geez, you sure?" Takuya snickered. But he paused at the sound of wings flapping, and he looked up to see a familiar quartet of birds flying overhead. "Hey! It's the Toucanmon!"

Everyone looked up and gasped to see Takuya spoke the truth. "Where are they going?" Tommy wondered.

"It's not like they can go far." Sorcermon noted. "While flight-able, they can't fly long distances."

"Look, they're landing over there!" Tommy pointed to the island a couple miles away.

"Right!" Takuya suddenly took off towards the ocean. "Don't let them get away! We can swim over!"

"I'll race you there!" Zoe chimed, following Takuya.

"Sorcermon, you and the guys wait here!" Takuya ordered.

"Wait, you're actually just going to swim over there?" Sorcermon called, scrambling to keep up.

"Yes!" Takuya said, splashing in the shallows. "Now just wait with the others and—" Not a second later, Takuya suddenly fell forward and face planted into the shallows, forcing Zoe to stop.

"Takuya?" Zoe asked confusedly.

Takuya burst from the shallows, spitting out saltwater, and turned to see some sort of seal-like creature holding his foot in its claws. Despite its bizarre appearance, the creature's eyes shined and it smiled. Takuya blinked. "What the heck is that?"

"'That' Gomamon." The creature replied.

"Well whoever you are let go of my foot, okay?" Takuya jerked his appendage free.

"Sorry." Gomamon said. "But we had to stop you guys." As if on cue, several more Gomamon popped up from the waters around Zoe and Takuya, greeting them warmly.

"Gomamon are cute and curious, but if you get them mad they won't hesitate to attack." Bokomon informed everyone. "Then again, what _does _around here?"

Zoe suddenly gushed, pulling one of the Gomamon into a hug. "How cute!" The Gomamon in her grip grimaced a little, but laughed along with his kin as they all gathered near the shore to talk.

"So why were you trying to stop us?" Kouji asked.

"We wouldn't be very good friends if we let you go out there." One of the Gomamon explained. "The water looks so cuddly and inviting, but really it's very dangerous."

"Um, what do you mean by 'dangerous,' exactly?" Takuya asked albeit nervously.

"Just look." The Gomamon pointed towards the island. "All that foam by the island is caused by a whole bunch of whirlpools."

"Whirlpools?" Takuya groaned as they all looked towards the island. Sure enough, they could see whitecaps just before the island itself.

"Don't worry." The lead Gomamon assured. "We're safe here. But if you get too close they'll suck you in and never spit you out. And even if you could get past them, you'll get slammed up against the cliffs that surround the only beach you can land on." The small pack of Gomamon hung their heads sadly. "We know all about it because we used to live there."

Takuya stared at the island for a moment. "So is there some kind of secret way to get there or something?"

"No. I wish there were." The lead Gomamon sighed.

"You can't get home?" Zoe murmured sadly.

The Gomamon didn't answer for a moment, those sad expressions still on their faces. "That's right." The lead one nodded. "Everything used to be so wonderful here. Then one day when we went out to play and get some food, there was a big earthquake. That's when the whirlpools started. We were cut off from our island and we haven't been able to get home since."

"I'd be willing to bet that the earthquake happened when the destruction of the Digital World began." Bokomon guessed with a sigh. "It seems there's no one Cherubimon's evil touch hasn't hurt."

Sorcermon stared at the sand. _How? How could someone who was once so kind become so evil? Surely there's something else going on that we don't know about._

"So you're saying there's no way to get across, huh?" Kouji guessed.

"Hey, maybe Sorcermon can help." Takuya suggested, looking to said Majin. "You have ice magic. Maybe you can freeze the whirlpools or make a path for us."

"It's hard enough to freeze saltwater or to freeze moving water." Sorcermon said regretfully. "Trying to freeze moving saltwater is next to impossible. Even if I could do it, there's no telling how long it would hold or if it would hold at all."

"Well that won't work." J.P. thought for a moment. "Maybe we'll be able to find some kind of flying Digimon who will take us over to the island."

Takuya brightened up. "Hey! Good idea!"

"Well of course!" the Gomamon agreed. "That should totally work!"

"Thanks for your help, you guys." Takuya said with a wave. "You really saved our necks."

"No problem!" the Gomamon chirped.

"We better hurry before the Toucanmon take off again." J.P. urged, spurring the group to begin walking towards the forest. But Zoe paused and looked back to the Gomamon, who all stared off towards their island longingly. A few of them whimpered, shattering Zoe's heart.

"Zoe, what's up?" J.P. asked. "You okay?"

Zoe didn't answer, still staring at the Gomamon. Narrowing her eyes a little, she turned and marched back to them. She put on a warm smile and knelt down to the sea Digimon. "Why don't you all come with us? I mean, don't you want to go back home?"

"Oh, don't worry about us." The lead Gomamon assured. "We'll be just fine. If we swim close up to the whirlpools, we can catch a really good view of our friends on the other side."

"You bet!" a second Gomamon piped up. "We can get along just fine!"

Zoe frowned and stood up. "Come on!" The Gomamon and the boys jumped at her tone. "Are you trying to tell me you're not even a _little _sad? Watching all your friends from afar, not even being able to talk to them? Well I don't buy it! Everyone gets sad without their friends!"

"Yeah….." the Gomamon sighed. "We just try to ignore that because otherwise we get all depressed."

Zoe looked around to the saddened Gomamon before smiling at them. "Listen guys. I think I have a quick and simple solution to your problem: you're all going to come with us!"

"Although I appreciate the sentiment, don't you think it might be a tad dangerous?" Bokomon noted.

Zoe looked to the rest of the DigiDestined group. "Come on, guys. We have to try."

"We can't even help ourselves!" Kouji huffed. "I mean, we don't even have our D-Tectors anymore. What good are we?"

"That's a great excuse if you want to give up." Zoe said. "But I'm not going to. Sure it's tough; but I believe that we can do whatever we put our minds to." She turned and knelt down to the Gomamon, smiling again. "Come on, you guys. Let's get you back to your friends, okay?"

"After that speech, I don't think we could say 'no' to you even if we wanted to." The lead Gomamon sniffed a bit.

"I will help." Sorcermon announced, coming to stand beside Zoe.

"Really?" Zoe asked excitedly.

"I don't know how I can help, but I will do what I can." Sorcermon looked to the Gomamon. "I've only been away from home for a day and I'm still homesick. I can only imagine how you all feel."

"I hope it works." Zoe sighed. "If it doesn't, we'll make it work." She blinked in surprise as Kouji and Takuya came to stand by her.

"Zoe's right." Takuya agreed. "We can help each other out. We'll make it together."

"Even without our D-Tectors, I guess there's plenty we can do as a team." Kouji said with a soft smirk.

Zoe stood up, smiling warmly. "You mean it? Really?"

"I can't swim well and I'm afraid of water, but count me in!" Tommy piped up.

"Finding flying Digimon is too much work anyway." J.P. shrugged.

"It's decided then!" Bokomon announced.

"Guys….." Zoe's smile grew. "Awesome!" The Gomamon cheered happily.

It was decided that the easiest method to get there would to build a raft, so everyone split off to chop down palm trees, gather materials and supplies from the beach house, and construct something that would be strong enough to hold together and keep them afloat as they sailed.

Takuya and Sorcermon paused as they carried a log towards the rest of the pile. J.P. seemed to be drawing something in the sand. "J.P., what are you doing?" Takuya asked.

"To make a good boat, you need a good plan." J.P. said simply.

Takuya and Sorcermon set the log they carried on the ground and came over to see the plan. "So what do ya got?" Takuya asked, peering at the picture. He stifled a laugh at the semi-detailed drawing of a large, three sail ship. "Great, J.P. That should only take a few years to build."

"It's just like building a model ship, only bigger." J.P. shrugged as she stood.

"Yeah, right." Takuya scoffed.

"Well then Sorcermon can build it magically." J.P. suggested.

"Just because I am a Majin does not mean I can do anything." Sorcermon chuckled softly as he and Takuya lifted up the log again.

"Come on." J.P. whined. "Don't you know a spell or something that could do this?"

"There is no spell to construct a boat, and if there is one I do not know it." Sorcermon shrugged, stifling laughter at J.P.'s complaints. It took about an hour before they finally managed to build a small but sturdy raft. Strapping down the large curtain they used for a sail, they cast off into the ocean with the Gomamon swimming beside them.

"Um, can we not rock the boat so much?" Tommy requested timidly, seeming to hide in the barrel they brought.

"I can't believe we built this without even _looking _at my plans." J.P. whined.

"This is great!" Zoe smiled, the wind blowing her hair behind her.

"I'll say!" Takuya agreed.

"But what about my plans?" J.P. complained.

"J.P.!" Everyone snapped. J.P. grumbled for a while longer, but soon stopped as they reached the edge of the whirlpools. Per the Gomamon's description, several large currents of water swirled around the entrance to the island, almost pulling them in.

"So much for fun." Zoe muttered.

"The Gomamon sure weren't kidding, huh?" Kouji noted.

"They said it was bad, not horrible!" J.P. whimpered.

Sorcermon stared at the currents for a moment before kneeling down by the edge of the raft, placing his palm in the waves and focusing his power. But even when some of the water froze to ice, the frozen pieces either got swept away in the whirlpool or became sucked in and ricocheted back towards the raft, much to everyone's surprise. "Sorry!" Sorcermon said quickly, groaning. "The water's moving too fast; I'll never be able to freeze it, much less water bend with it."

"It's okay. At least you tried." Zoe assured.

"There must be something at the bottom of the sea that's causing all this." Bokomon guessed.

"Well maybe we can find it and fix it." Takuya suggested. Movement caught their eyes, and they turned and gasped to see a tidal wave coming right at them. The water washed over them, destroying their sail and almost pushing them underwater until the raft's buoyancy caused them to bounce back up again. They all coughed and sputtered, watching in shock as two large waterspouts shot up, followed by a third carrying a familiar figure.

"Hi there, cutie-pies!" Ranamon waved with a cute smile.

"Oh man!" J.P. gulped.

"Great. Now what do we do?" Takuya demanded.

"Well, if ya'll have any last wishes, now would be the perfect time to make them." Ranamon warned. "Don't you think?"

Zoe glared fiercely at the water Digimon. "Don't do it, Zoe! Don't you remember? You were no match for her last time."

"For Pete's sake! Am I the only one here with even a pinch of optimism?" Zoe snapped.

"But Zoe….." Takuya started.

"Don't 'But Zoe' me!" Zoe snapped. "Just figure out how to stop the whirlpools while I hold her off. Sorcermon, you stay here; I'll do this alone."

"Zoe, I cannot allow—" Sorcermon started.

"That was an order!" Zoe shouted, silencing the Majin. She glared at Ranamon, murmuring under her breath. "Hope this works." She pulled out her D-Tector, summoning the ring of fractal code.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kazemon!"_

Kazemon quickly flew up towards Ranamon, ready for battle. It would seem Ranamon looked the same way, smirking at her opponent as though she still only saw a young girl. "Let's kick start this fight!" Kazemon lunged forward, aiming multiple kicks for Ranamon only for her strikes to be blocked by the twin waterspouts moving in her path. When the spouts moved, Kazemon fumed a little at the sight of Ranamon lounging on her waterspout, as though bored by the fight. _"Hurricane Wave!" _Kazemon put as much power as possible in the attack, but once again Ranamon used the two waterspouts to block it.

"Honey, I could do this all day." Ranamon scoffed. "But I'll take pity and destroy you now." She snapped her fingers and a dark, swirling cloud appeared about Kazemon. _"Draining Rain!"_

A shower poured down onto Kazemon from the cloud, and suddenly she felt all her energy deplete to nothing. She shouted as she suddenly began freefalling towards the water, much to the shock of her friends. Sorcermon, unable to watch any longer, quickly formed another ice board and rode it towards Kazemon, catching her before she could hit the water.

Kazemon sighed, instinctively wrapping her arms around Sorcermon's neck and smiling. "Nice catch, Sorcermon. Guess you should've gone into battle with me."

Sorcermon's cheeks burned. "Um…..well…" His eyes widened as one of the waterspouts came right towards them. He quickly steered them out of the way as the water crashed into the spot they previously occupied. "Kazemon, fly!"

Kazemon desperately tried to flap her wings, to no avail. "I can't! My wings are wet; they won't move properly!" She shouted in surprise just as the second spout crashed into them, destroying the ice board and sending Kazemon and Sorcermon flying into one of the whirlpools.

"Zoe, no!" Takuya cried.

"Zoe!" J.P. echoed.

"Sorcermon!" Tommy shouted.

The two fallen Digimon could barely hear their friends as the currents sucked them down beneath the waves, Kazemon holding tightly to Sorcermon's hand as they sunk.

_No! _Kazemon pleaded as she dedigivolved. _This can't happen! I have to protect the others! _Suddenly, Zoe felt herself swing upright, and she realized she wasn't drowning. Neither was Sorcermon, still keeping a tight grip on her hand. A bright light shone from the bottom of the ocean, almost engulfing them.

"What's going on?" Sorcermon breathed.

"This is impossible." Zoe said in disbelief. "We can breathe." The two of them looked down as something, a current or otherwise, pulled them down to a large clam shell resting in the rocks and sand. Before their eyes, the shell opened to reveal a spiritual figurine. "So beautiful." Zoe breathed, and then she smiled as she felt herself drawn towards the spirit. Just by looking at the object, she felt as though the missing piece of her puzzle came forth to fill her heart and soul. "It's my Beast Spirit!"

"Really?" Sorcermon asked hopefully, watching in awe as Zoe absorbed the spirit into her D-Tector.

Zoe smiled warmly, holding her D-Tector to her heart. Then she put on a determined smirk. "Sorcermon, hang on tight. We're going back up there."

Above the water, Kouji had to physically pull J.P. back to prevent him from jumping after Zoe and Sorcermon. "Zoe, come back!" J.P. cried.

"Zoe!" Takuya screamed. "Sorcermon!

"Sorcermon!" Tommy desperately scanned the water, fighting tears. "Sorcermon, where are you?!"

"It can't be." Bokomon murmured sadly.

"What a bother." Ranamon sighed, much to the anger of the DigiDestined. "And here I thought I'd get a chance to test out my Beast Spirit. It's really not fair."

"You're toast, lady!" Takuya threatened, though he knew they couldn't do much. They didn't have their D-Tectors and none of the Digimon with them would stand a chance. They needed a miracle to get out of this one.

"Thanks, but I already had my breakfast." Ranamon stood on the spout and stretched, as though waking from a nap. "Hey! Maybe I can test out my Beast Spirit on y'all."

Tommy noticed it first. "Takuya, look! The whirlpool's going away!" Following Tommy's gaze, everyone realized with a start that the whirlpools suddenly stopped and disappeared completely, leaving calm waters.

"It's what?" Ranamon blinked in surprise. "Now how in the world did that happen?"

Then, much to everyone's surprise, a column of water shot from the ocean, rising much higher than Ranamon.

"What is going on?!" Ranamon yelped.

"Oh my!" Bokomon gasped. "Could it be?"

Sorcermon suddenly jumped from the spout, diving down into the water as the spout disappeared to reveal Zoe floating in the air.

"It's Zoe!" J.P. cheered.

"And Sorcermon!" Tommy cried happily as the ice Majin hauled himself onto the raft. The boy hugged the Majin, laughing.

"Sorcermon, what are you doing?" Kouji urged. "Get out there and help Zoe."

Sorcermon waved a hand dismissively. "Oh don't worry. She'll be fine."

Zoe smirked, still floating in the air. "Yes, I'm back." She glared determinedly at Ranamon. "And I brought a little friend!" She held out her D-Tector, summoning an orb made of fractal code rings around her hand. She scanned the code, activating the evolution.

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution! Zephyrmon!"_

"Who is that?" Takuya asked, a wide smile on his face.

"That is Zephyrmon!" Bokomon realized. "Behold the Legendary Warrior of Wind!"

Zephyrmon looked like a harpy, only much more beautiful. She wore armored boots and gloves, with more armor over her chest and leaving her midriff exposed, a black scarf around her neck and a mask covering her face from the nose down. A pair of gorgeous, cream and golden brown colored wings graced her back, and her short-cropped, sky blue hair looked more like feathers with a smaller pair of wings sticking out of her head like horns. Her eyes sparkled a pretty pale blue color.

Ranamon could hardly believe her eyes. "Oh my! Why?! You're pretty! Your Beast Spirit made you pretty!" She stared contemplatively at the new Digimon before huffing and crossing her arms. "Well, of course it's not like you're prettier than me. I mean, that's not even possible." She paused, and then shouted at Zephyrmon. "But just because you _are _prettier than me doesn't mean anything, you got that? Do _you _have adoring fans all over the world who worship you? I don't think so!"

Zephyrmon remained quiet and calm for the most part, but finally spoke. "You know something? For a Legendary Warrior of Water, you sure give off a lot of hot air."

Ranamon fumed. "That does it. You're going down, shugah. Now how shall I defeat you?" She smirked. _"Dark Vapor!" _Ranamon shot a stream of what looked like black fog towards Zephyrmon, completely encasing the Beast Spirit. "You're in for it now, girly. That haze will melt anything. Have your feathers started molting yet?" She blinked in surprise as the haze fell away to reveal a very unharmed and quite ticked off Zephyrmon. "Wait a minute! How come you're not molting?"

"I think it's time you learned a little respect." Zephyrmon's hands and feet became encased in glowing red spheres of energy. _"Plasma Pods!"_

In desperation to dodge the attack, Ranamon forced the waterspout she stood on to go higher. But Zephyrmon pushed right through the column of water and destroyed it, sending Ranamon right into the ocean water.

"She's controlling her Spirit!" Takuya realized with joy.

"She's amazing, isn't she J.P.? J.P.?" Tommy looked over to said boy and raised an eyebrow at the look J.P. gave Zephyrmon.

"Boy howdy." J.P. almost drooled.

Ranamon popped up from the waves, glaring at Zephyrmon. "Right! That's it! No more pussy-footing around." She launched herself up in the air. _"Ranamon Slide Evolution! Calmaramon!"_

"Zoe, get away!" J.P. warned, everyone except Zephyrmon reeling back at the sight of Calmaramon.

"You won't be so pretty when I get through with you, sweetheart! _Acid Ink!_" Calmaramon's squid half and her stomach bulged, and she spit out a stream of ink towards Zephyrmon. The Warrior of Wind managed to dodge it, flying behind Calmaramon, but was forced to fly away again when Calmaramon sent another round of ink. The black substance hit some rocks instead of Zephyrmon, melting down some of the stone. "That's what'll happen to your friends!" Calmaramon laughed evilly, turning towards the raft. She shot a blast of the acidic ink, but Zephyrmon flew in and sliced the blow away with her talons. But she felt a burning sensation and looked to see a drop of ink landed on her wing. Calmaramon laughed again. "Aw, what's the matter little girl? Did I burn y'all up?" She spit a few more rounds of the ink, and while Zephyrmon could knock aside each blow she failed to notice Calmaramon's tentacle come up behind her until the slimy appendage wrapped around her stomach and wings.

"That witch!" Takuya growled.

"It's awful!" Tommy groaned, staring fearfully as Calmaramon began squeezing Zephyrmon. "We can't do anything!"

"Stop it!" Kouji shouted. "Let her go you scum queen!"

"Yeah you ugly fish head!" J.P. hollered.

Calmaramon tensed, turning and glaring at J.P. "What?! What did you say?!"

J.P. jumped back fearfully, but Kouji stood strong. "You heard him!" He looked to the others. "If we call her names and distract her, maybe Zephyrmon can escape!"

"Okay." Takuya said uncertainly. But he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Hey you slimy, dateless wonder!"

"You big coward!" Tommy chimed. Soon the entire raft and even the Gomamon were shouting whatever insults they could think of at Calmaramon, who began fuming and growling in anger.

Finally, she snapped. _"Can it! You are so dead!"_

Zephyrmon felt Calmaramon's grip loosen, and she quickly slipped out and prepared to fight again. By the time Calmaramon realized her captive escaped, Zephyrmon already threw her attack. _"Hurricane Gale!" _The swirling winds returned, only this time accompanied by slashes of laser-like lights. Calmaramon shouted in pain as she suddenly fell back into the ocean, everyone else on the raft cheering for Zephyrmon.

"That's for picking on my friends." Zephyrmon growled.

"And go tell your friends there'll be more of that if they mess with us!" Takuya boasted.

Calmaramon growled and she pulled herself from the water, whipping around with a glare and bared teeth…..and her makeup a complete and total mess. "Now you're gonna pay!"

Takuya, J.P., and Tommy screeched in terror at the sight. "That's the scariest thing yet!"

Calmaramon blinked in surprise, then glared again. "Be quiet! You brats are in for a heaping helping of pain!" She leaped into the air, spreading her two longest tentacles. _"Titanic Tempest!" _Though Zephyrmon shot down to protect her friends, they were all treated to another humorous round of watching Calmaramon spin out of control as she didn't have a full grasp on that particular attack.

"What was that?" J.P. asked as Calmaramon disappeared into the distance.

"I guess someone can't control her Beast Spirit yet." Zephyrmon chuckled. "Now let's get everybody back to that island."

Thanks to Zephyrmon pulling the raft along, the group could finally make it through the now-calm waters and to the shoreline. The Gomamon hurriedly swam ashore to happily reunite with their friends and family, all of them cheering, laughing, and in some cases crying.

"They're sure happy." Neemon noted.

"And it's all thanks to you, Zoe." Bokomon told the girl. "If you didn't have the courage to stand up to Ranamon, none of this would be possible."

"Thanks." Zoe nodded.

"My pleasure." Bokomon assured.

"Hey Zoe, how are you able to control your Beast Spirit so fast?" Takuya asked.

"Well, just luck I guess." Zoe shrugged.

"Not 'cause you're a girl?" Tommy smirked.

Zoe smiled. "Yeah, maybe. But I won't tell." She put on an almost flirtatious smile. "A girl has to have secrets."

Takuya and Tommy each made a disgusted face. "You feel as sick as I do right now?" Takuya sighed.

"No, I'm sicker." Tommy grimaced.

"Guys…." Zoe sighed.

"Me too!" Neemon called.

"Knock it off!" Zoe snapped.

The Gomamon approached the group, wide smiles on their faces. "We just wanted to thank you all. If it weren't for you, we would never have seen our friends again!"

"You should be thanking Zoe." Takuya corrected.

"Yeah, she's the one who did everything." Kouji agreed.

Zoe cooed a little as she suddenly hugged the two boys. "You guys helped me more than you know."

Takuya and Kouji froze, unsure what to do while their cheeks turned bright red. Kouji frowned. "Cut it out."

Tommy and J.P. suddenly began complaining, and Zoe quickly came forward to hug them as well. Sorcermon chuckled at the sight, rolling his eyes a bit. "Humans." But he jumped when Zoe pulled him into a tight hug as well.

"Thank you, Sorcermon." Zoe said gratefully, smiling at the ice Majin. "It was nice having someone by my side while I was fighting, even if I did end up doing it on my own. You were really brave to save me like that."

Sorcermon's cheeks burned again, and he looked down. "It was nothing. I made it my job to protect you, so I did. It's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me. Thank you." Zoe suddenly kissed Sorcermon's cheek, and the Majin's entire face turned red. Then, to everyone's amusement and shock, steam began coming from his ears. He yelped as he covered his elf-like ears to stop the steam from coming out.

"Don't do that!" Sorcermon yelped in an almost childish tone. "If I blush, smoke comes out my ears!" It only caused more laughter amongst the children and some of the Gomamon.

Kouji turned to the Gomamon. "Hey, did you guys see the Toucanmon?"

"They're gone." One of the Gomamon announced, halting the children's laughter. "They all left for the Autumn Leaf Fair."

"The what?" Takuya asked.

Bokomon checked his book. "It's a traders market on the continent north of here."

"Then let's go!" Takuya urged.

"But how?" Zoe asked, looking out towards the open ocean ahead of them. There wasn't any other land in sight, save for the island they recently sailed from, and the raft wasn't in great shape.

J.P. sighed. "Why is nothing ever easy?"


	5. Episode 17

**A/N: You'll be happy to know this has much more Sorcermon involvement than previous chapters. I'm planning to update the next two really quickly because Sorcermon doesn't make much of an impact in those episodes. Come Episode 20, things get interesting.**

**Read and review! Thank you!**

* * *

**Episode 17**

The Gomamon helped the DigiDestined repair their raft, complete with a new sail, and guided them to a set of currents that would take them straight to the fair. While they weren't happy to say goodbye to the Gomamon, the group thanked them as they sailed off. Within minutes, they found the correct current and began speeding away.

"Wow, this is working great!" Takuya noted happily. "We should get to that Autumn Leaf Fair thingy in no time!"

"Let's hope so." Bokomon said.

"And let's hope the Toucanmon are there." Tommy added, resting in the barrel once more. He looked to Neemon, only to find the yellow Digimon fast asleep. "How can anyone sleep at a time like this?"

"Let him sleep." Sorcermon shrugged. "He could probably use the rest. Much like we could if we had the moment."

"Don't worry about it." Takuya assured. They all gave a small cry of surprise when the raft picked up speed. "Man, we are cooking along now!" However, they soon found the Warrior of Fire spoke too soon as they entered a very cold area, complete with small icebergs dotting the waters. Most of the raft's occupants began to shiver. "Well, maybe 'cooking' isn't really the right word."

"Yeah, I can't feel my fingers." Zoe shivered. She jumped a little when Kouji held out his jacket to her.

"Take it." Kouji said, not even looking at her.

"Yeah, you sure?" Zoe asked. Kouji only nodded, so Zoe accepted the extra layer with a smile and a "_Gratzi."_ J.P. only stared in envy, pouting a little.

Tommy yelped when the wind suddenly took his hat, only for Sorcermon to grab it in time. "Keep that close if you don't want to lose it."

"Thanks." Tommy said gratefully, pulling his hat tighter over his head while he shivered. Sorcermon observed this for a moment before removing his cape and draping it over Tommy's shoulders. The boy looked to Sorcermon worriedly, but the ice Majin didn't seem the least bit bothered by the cold. So he only smiled and snuggled into the cape's surprisingly warm feel. But when he looked down again, he gasped to see Neemon still asleep. "Neemon, wake up! You can't sleep in the cold! You'll freeze to death!"

Neemon suddenly bolted upright, gasping and looking around with a confused gaze. "Hey, look at that!" Bokomon's voice brought their attention to what lay ahead.

"Um, what are we looking at?" J.P. asked.

"Land ahead!" Bokomon called. Not a second later, the raft suddenly bounced up onto solid ground and began sliding across the snowy landscape.

"That was way better than I thought it'd be." Takuya admitted. "But where's the Autumn Fair thing?"

Bokomon took out his book. "It should be just up ahead."

Zoe looked ahead of them. "Well, there _is _something ahead." Everyone else followed her gaze to see their path dropped off into a large hole. "But it doesn't look very fair!" Zoe cried out.

"Everyone! Hold on to something so we don't fall off the raft!" Kouji ordered. They all took a hold of the raft as tightly as they could, Tommy hiding in the barrel, and suddenly the raft flew off the edge of the crater and down the steep slope towards the bottom. The sail and mast broke off, landing somewhere off to the side while they kept going.

"It's not over yet!" Tommy yelped as they continued to slide. Then, something caught Tommy's eyes. "What is that?"

Looking ahead, everyone stared at the sight of….. "A snowman?!"

Bracing themselves, the raft suddenly crashed into the snowman. The force itself demolished the snowman and sent the raft flying, the impact on the ground shattering the wooden structure and sending its riders to the ground. They all groaned painfully, a couple of them spitting out dirt and grass…..huh?

"Hey, it's warm here." Kouji realized, touching the grass they all sat on. Sure enough, they now sat on warm grass, with the snow slope behind them.

"It's warm?" Zoe blinked. "Why is it warm?"

Takuya looked ahead and pointed. "Maybe that!" Everyone followed his point to see a monstrous furnace, giving the area a wide radius of warmth. The entire bottom of the crater was filled with market stalls and shops. "Hey, it's the fair thingy!"

"Autumn Leaf Fair." Sorcermon corrected as they stood and entered the fairgrounds. All around them, Digimon talked and laughed and bought or sold goods. There was such a wide range of Digimon it was hard to keep track of who was what, not to mention the grounds were filled with the sheer number of Digimon there.

"Oh, how I despise crowds." Bokomon sighed.

"Even if those Toucanmon _are _here, it'll be like finding the tiniest needle ever in a million haystacks." Zoe said.

"So, should we split up and get looking?" Takuya suggested, the others agreeing.

"Come on, Sorcermon!" Tommy urged, taking the ice Majin's hand and leading him off. "Let's start this way!"

"All right, I'm coming!" Sorcermon said, chuckling a bit. "We'll meet up later!" He waved to the rest of the group as he and Tommy disappeared into the crowd.

"Is it just me, or does Sorcermon seem to get along with Tommy a lot better than the rest of us?" Takuya noted. "Not that he doesn't like us or anything, but it seems like those two really connect a lot better."

"Well, it's no surprise." Bokomon said. Everyone stared at him in confusion. "Sorcermon is a Majin Digimon with powers over ice and snow. Tommy holds the spirit of Kumamon, the Legendary Warrior of Ice. It's only natural the two would connect so easily and get along so well."

"I guess that makes sense." Zoe agreed. "Their personalities really balance each other out."

"Yeah." J.P. nodded. "Sorcermon protects Tommy and the little guy brings out Sorcermon's fun side."

"At least it's helping with the transition." Kouji said. "Sorcermon must've spent a long time in that castle, watching Seraphimon. But it seems that hanging around Tommy is making him more relaxed to being so far from home." The others nodded in agreement.

* * *

The gang searched for about an hour or so, asking several shopkeepers and shopping Digimon if they saw anything. Sorcermon and Tommy searched in the deeper parts of the fair, asking the Digimon they passed by. But time and time again, they received negative responses.

"I haven't seen them." the Otamamon said.

"Okay, thanks." Tommy said, the tadpole Digimon bouncing away. Tommy looked down sadly. "What if we never find them? The Digital World is doomed and we'll never get to go back home."

"Don't lose hope, Tommy." Sorcermon encouraged. "They have to be around here somewhere."

Tommy shook his head, glaring in determination. "Right! We're gonna find them no matter what!"

"That's the spirit." Sorcermon nodded, the two of them starting to walk off. "Now, perhaps if we ask about the D-Tectors more than the Toucanmon, we'll get closer to finding them. After all, the Digimon would know how to recognize unique pieces of machinery as opposed to a few Digimon in this crowd. What do you think?" But when Sorcermon looked down, he was startled to find Tommy didn't stand beside him. In fact, the young boy seemed to have disappeared completely. "Tommy? Tommy! Where are you?" He moved to run forward and find the boy, only to run right into another Digimon and fall to the ground.

"Hey!" the Digimon yelled, revealed to be an Etemon. "What do you think you're doing?"

"My apologies." Sorcermon said, standing and tipping his hat. He turned to leave, but the Etemon suddenly grabbed his shoulder and slammed him against the wall of a nearby shop.

"You think you can run into me like that and get away with it?" Etemon snapped.

"Relax, I didn't mean to. I'm just looking for someone." Sorcermon said, trying to keep calm. "Now let go!"

Etemon suddenly grabbed Sorcermon by the throat and shoved his hand up, forcing Sorcermon's feet to leave the ground as he was pinned harder to the wall. "You think you can boss me around? The Boss Etemon?"

"Boss of what?" Sorcermon droned, trying to pry Etemon's hand off his neck. "Being a Digi-dodo?"

Etemon glared hard. "All right! Now you've done it!" He raised a fist, ready to plant it right in Sorcermon's face, when the monkey Digimon suddenly became electrocuted. Sorcermon jumped as Etemon dropped him, convulsing and going into spasms.

"You got a problem, Etemon?" someone said as they approached. Etemon and Sorcermon looked to see a Wizardmon come up, clearly the one that threw the lightning to electrocute Etemon.

"Just stay out of this." Etemon growled. "This is between me and the little runt here."

"I think it'd be best if you went along your way." the Wizardmon growled. "That is, unless you want to taste a Thunder Ball." He summoned the stormy energy in one hand to emphasize his point, and Etemon suddenly scrambled away in terror. Wizardmon rolled his eyes, extinguishing the Thunder Ball and looking to Sorcermon. "Don't mind him. He's just a, as you said, Digi-dodo." He offered a hand, which Sorcermon took to help get up.

"Thanks for that." Sorcermon said, looking down in embarrassment.

Wizardmon stared at Sorcermon for a moment. "If you don't mind me asking, where is your wand? You could've taken that guy without it, but it's nice to have your main weapon with you, right?"

"It was destroyed." Sorcermon admitted. "So I am now next-to-powerless and completely useless."

Wizardmon huffed. "You aren't serious."

"Look, I have to keep searching for a friend." Sorcermon said, moving to walk away from the Majin before him. "Thanks for your help."

"Hey, hold up." Wizardmon said, putting a hand on Sorcermon's shoulder. "Come with me. You look like you could use a pick-me-up."

Sorcermon tried to shy away from him. "I don't think—"

"Come on." Wizardmon insisted, steering the ice Majin towards a nearby café. "Let's talk for a while. You can tell me about how you lost your wand."

"It's kind of a long and boring story." Sorcermon admitted.

Wizardmon looked to Sorcermon, his eyes glinting to match his hidden smirk. "I got time."

* * *

As it turned out, Tommy found a trading post down an alleyway and decided to go there, accidentally leaving Sorcermon behind. Once he managed to gather his courage and walk inside, he discovered the shop cluttered with various objects, most of it technology the young boy couldn't describe nor name. Standing at a large gaming console was a Digimon with a robot body, four short legs, and long robotic arms. His head mainly consisted of a clear dome, and his face was mostly just two eyes and a mouth with sharp teeth. One of his eyes was covered with a yellow screen, but some of his metal armor was broken to reveal his other eye, colored light brown. Based on the name Tommy found on the sign outside, he could only guess that this was Datamon.

Tommy nervously approached the cybernetic Digimon. "Hello?"

"Yeah, what?" Datamon snapped. "Can't you see I'm busy here?"

Tommy ventured closer, wondering what the Digimon could be working on. But he found with surprise that he was actually just playing the game. "_That's _being busy?"

"Yes it is!" Datamon growled, mostly to himself as he furiously tried to beat the game. But very quickly, he lost his last life and he groaned in frustration. "Now I have to start all over again!"

"Hey, why don't you let me take a shot at that?" Tommy offered.

"Do what?" Datamon asked in surprise, staring at Tommy. "You're just a human child."

"Video games are my specialty!" Tommy assured. Datamon seemed a little hesitant, but shrugged and allowed Tommy to take the controls of the game. Seconds after the game started, Tommy was on a roll, destroying enemy Pagumon with his Togemon character. The young boy bit his tongue in concentration, smiling. Datamon voiced his concerns numerous times, but found that the human child actually had some skills.

"So tell me, are all human children as good as you?" Datamon asked.

"Nope! Just me!" Tommy said proudly. "It's the mother ship!" Datamon became frantic again, but Tommy remained completely focused on the game. In seconds, he destroyed the mother ship and beat the game. He cheered for himself, and even Datamon applauded the boy. Tommy laughed, but then looked down to see a glowing object appeared on the screen. "Hey, it looks like I won something. So what did I win, anyway?"

Datamon stared mostly at the object, not paying attention. "Oh, that. I-it's just nothing." He hurriedly reached down as what looked like an inch-thick floppy disk emerged from the machine.

"So what are you gonna do with it?" Tommy asked curiously.

"That's none of your business." Datamon huffed, marching off behind the counter. Tommy wasn't sure he liked Datamon's attitude, but he knew he had to ask about the Toucanmon. So he followed Datamon and stood at the counter as the robot Digimon opened a safe.

Tommy gasped. "Wait a minute! Our D-Tectors!"

"Really?" Datamon asked, picking up Takuya's. "These things are called D-Tectors, huh?"

"They belong to me and my friends, give it!" Tommy demanded.

"You must have a cracked transistor." Datamon scoffed. "These are mine, kid."

"It was the Toucanmon!" Tommy protested. "They stole them! Then they came here and traded our stuff to you!"

Datamon frowned. "Yeah, right. You should write books if you can think up stories like _that_."

"It's not just a story!" Tommy insisted. "It's the truth, I swear! You _have _to believe me!"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't _have _to do anything." Datamon huffed. "Do you have any proof?"

"Not really…..wait, Sorcermon can vouch for me! Right, Sorcermon?" Tommy turned, but suddenly realized he and the ice Majin became separated who-knows-when. "Aw man. Well, give me one and I'll Spirit Evolve."

"Nice try, Kid." Datamon huffed. "I give you this thing and you'll run right out the door with it. Heh, you remind me of me when I was younger."

Tommy was beginning to lose his patience. "The Toucanmon really stole them!"

"Knock it off and get out of here!" Datamon shouted, making Tommy cringe.

"Isn't there anything I can do to convince you?" Tommy pleaded.

"Look, I'm running a business." Datamon huffed. "If you want 'em, you'll have to trade for 'em."

Tommy thought for a moment, then lifted his hat. "Will you give them to me for my hat?"

"No sale." Datamon snapped.

Tommy took of his shoes and placed them on the counter. "Will you trade them for these?"

"Come on, what are you trying to do? Make me puke?" Datamon scoffed, moving to one side and setting Takuya's D-Tector on the ground. Tommy sighed, putting his shoes back on and moving to watch what Datamon would do. The cybernetic Digimon took two cables and pressed the metal receptors into the D-Tector.

"What are you doing?" Tommy asked worriedly.

"I have to test these out." Datamon said, watching the meter attached to the cords indicate a high level of power. He took Takuya's D-Tector and put it back in the safe. "Make sure they're good for the next person to buy them. Unlike you, _I _don't lie about my stuff."

"Next person?" Tommy gasped, then his eyes widened when he realized Datamon pulled out his D-Tector.

"Hmm, this one needs fixing." Datamon mused, a pointed screwdriver emerging from his palm.

Tommy gasped again at the sight of Datamon pulling apart his D-Tector. "No, cut it out! You're gonna break it!"

"Oh yeah?" Datamon huffed. "I can do what I want with this thing. It's mine now, Kid."

Tommy's jaw dropped when the D-Tector suddenly popped open, now in two halves with its circuitry exposed. The young boy wasn't really sure what to do, so he burst into tears. "Please Mister!"

The phone suddenly started ringing, and Datamon marched over to answer it. "All right, all right, don't blow a gasket." He lifted the phone to his ear. "Yeah?"

"'_Yeah' yourself!" _A voice on the other line snapped. _"Nobody's got no respect. You the guy with the Toucanmon, right?"_

"Eh?" Datamon made a noise, indicating his confusion.

"_The Toucanmon! The Toucan—jeez, what? Am I talking just to ear myself speak here?" _The voice snapped. _"They brought in the Spirits, remember?"_

"Oh yeah, right!" Datamon nodded.

"_I'll be there in an hour to get them, got it?" _the voice said. _"You make sure they're still there, or else! You understand?"_

Datamon flinched a little at the loud tone. "Yeah, sure, I understand." He hung up the phone. "I have no idea what he's talking about." He marched back to the D-Tector and continued messing with it, much to Tommy's distress. "Oh knock it off, would ya Kid?" Then, much to both of their surprise, a bright flash came from the D-Tector before it died down again.

"You…..broke it…" Tommy whimpered.

"Quit your belly-aching, I didn't break it!" Datamon protested. But as he stared at the D-Tector, he realized he didn't actually know how the technology worked. "I think I broke this thing…" He moved back to the safe and pulled out Takuya's again. "Nope! I can fix it! I'll open up one of the other ones to see what it's supposed to look like!" He began prying off the pieces of Takuya's D-Tector, and Tommy began to freak out even more.

"No stop!" Tommy cried. "I don't care about mine! But don't break another one!"

Finally, Datamon couldn't stand it anymore. "Look! What's with all the brouhaha?"

Tommy managed to calm down, but he still clenched his fists and tears streamed down his cheeks. "I know I'm just a little kid and I'll get in the way most of the time, but Takuya and J.P. and Kouji and Zoe, they're different. They're gonna save the world, but they have to have those D-Tectors to do it!"

Datamon stared at Tommy for a while, scrutinizing every detail in the boy's face. He had seen crocodile tears before, some good and some very terrible. These weren't fake by any means, and based on the boy's tone he was clearly more upset about his friends than himself. Still….

Datamon looked to the clock. "I'll tell you what."

"What?" Tommy asked, wiping his eyes dry on his arm.

"I owe you for winning the game." Datamon reasoned. "I'll give you one hour to find something to trade." Tommy's face burst into smiles, but he and Datamon looked to the clock to see it chiming for 2 p.m. "But just an hour, got it? Not a minute longer. And don't you dare breathe a word of this to anyone. I can't have customers thinking I've gone soft around the dials, you know what I mean?"

"Right. One hour." Tommy nodded.

"Actually now it's just fifty-eight minutes." Datamon teased.

Tommy perked up. "You won't regret this, I swear!" He took off out of the shop, running down the alleyway and out into the main road. "I gotta hurry and find them. Sorcermon! Takuya! Kouji! J.P.! Zoe!" But as the boy ran and looked around, he didn't find any trace of his friends. "Oh just perfect! Now they're lost! Well, I'll just have to find a way to make this work all by myself. But I need some help to do it! Okay, I'll do it alone!" Finally settling into a decision, Tommy took off running towards the snowy slopes that led to the icy landscape around the fairgrounds.

* * *

"Now we're trying to find the D-Tectors so the DigiDestined can save the Digital World." Sorcermon finished his story. "I accompany them on their request, so now I'm the guardian to them."

"Amazing!" Wizardmon breathed. "Servant and advisor to the Lord Seraphimon? Why didn't you tell that to the Etemon? He would've run away screaming."

"You really think he would've believed me?" Sorcermon scoffed. "The only shred of proof I have is being carried around by a somewhat mentally unstable Bokomon who thinks he's a mother."

Wizardmon laughed. "Just as well. Etemon can be quite nasty either way. But back to the matter at hand: your wand."

Sorcermon sighed, leaning back in his chair and swirling his drink with a straw. "I told myself I would protect those children so they can bring peace to the Digital World. But how am I supposed to do that without a proper weapon?"

"True." Wizardmon mused. "Our weapons are a major part of our fighting styles and magic. You said yours is truly destroyed?"

"Broken to pieces. And some of those pieces ended up in me." He unconsciously rubbed his arm, where some of the shrapnel pierced his skin before he healed himself.

"So why don't you make a new one?" Wizardmon shrugged.

"I can't just make a new wand for myself!" Sorcermon snapped, glaring at the ground. "That's not how it works."

"What do you mean?" Wizardmon asked simply.

Sorcermon gave him a deadpanned look. "Didn't you ever have a Majin teacher?"

"Didn't you?" Wizardmon countered.

"No." Sorcermon admitted. "I had to learn everything about magic on my own, studying spell books in the library. But I know for a fact that Majin can't just make or buy new weaponry like wands."

"If you had an actual Majin teacher, you would know differently." Wizardmon noted.

"Our wands are like an extension of ourselves." Sorcermon protested. "We can't just make a new one."

"On the contrary, it is _because _they are like an extension of ourselves that we _can _make a new one." Wizardmon said, causing Sorcermon to blink in surprise. "A wand is a Majin's main weapon. Some Majin don't have a use for one, but those of us who do know that our wands never really leave us. I could throw mine as far as I can, but if I will it to it will return to me. And, yes, if it is destroyed I can make a new one."

"But how?" Sorcermon asked. "I'd give anything to have my old weapon back. Then I wouldn't feel so useless."

"Well for one thing, you need to stop thinking you're useless." Wizardmon chuckled. "That's part of the problem. From there, you must find a reason for your wand to be created. Creating a new wand isn't done by a common spell. It's done by searching in your heart and willing it to happen. Find a reason, a very special reason, to have your wand back again, and it will return."

Sorcermon looked down to his drink, hardly touched. "But how will I know if it's a good enough reason?"

"You'll know." Wizardmon assured. "You're pretty smart like that."

Sorcermon blinked. "How do you know?"

Wizardmon shrugged. "I don't. Just a feeling I get."

"Hey Wizardmon!" The two Majin turned to see a white cat Digimon standing at the entrance to the café, smiling in their direction. "Come on! The acrobats are performing near the furnace!"

"Coming, Gatomon!" Wizardmon called. He pulled out a few Digi-dollars and set them on the table. "See you around, Sorcermon."

"Wizardmon." Sorcermon's soft call stopped the Majin. The ice Digimon smiled softly. "Thank you."

Wizardmon inclined his hat and touched the tip. "Take care." He turned and walked off, joining the Gatomon as they departed. Sorcermon stared at his drink for a moment before standing and hurrying off.

"I've gotta find the others." He murmured as he took off into the street. But as he looked all around, he didn't find any sign of the humans or Bokomon and Neemon. Finally, he stopped and turned to a Veemon and Agumon nearby. "Excuse me, but have you seen any human children around?"

"We saw one with a big orange hat come running by." Veemon said.

"Really?" Sorcermon asked happily. "Which way did he go?"

"That way, towards the outskirts of town." Agumon said, pointing down the road. "I think I saw him run up the ice slope."

Sorcermon turned and stared in the direction Agumon pointed. "Up the ice slope? What would he be doing up there?"

* * *

Chasing Toucanmon. That's what Tommy would be doing up there.

And that's what he did. After running into a couple of the Toucanmon at the top of the ridge, the two birds took off again with the boy in close pursuit.

"Stop!" Tommy ordered, having run for quite a few minutes now. "I really mean it this time!"

"You'll never catch us!" one of the Toucanmon laughed. Suddenly, the two gaudy colored birds hit some thin ice and slipped below to a pool of water, dropping the box-shaped object they carried. Tommy skidded to a halt, eyeing the object while the Toucanmon flailed about in the gelid waters.

Tommy lifted up the object, unable to really identify it. "This is what you two traded all our D-Tectors for, isn't it? Well I'm taking it!" He turned on his heel and began to march off, but paused at the distressed sounds coming from the Toucanmon. "I guess I can't leave them like this….then again, you _did_ steal our stuff, so you're just getting what you deserve." Tommy took off running again, but found he couldn't just leave them there to drown. He gently set the object down and hurried to the edge of the ice, reaching a hand out. "Here, grab hold!" He pulled one of the Toucanmon out, reaching for the second one. "Give me your wing!" The second Toucanmon hardly hesitated as he took Tommy's hand, allowing the boy to haul him up. Tommy sighed in relief, but soon realized the Toucanmon grabbed the object and began running off with it.

"Thanks for the help, sucker!" one of the Toucanmon laughed.

"I saved your lives!" Tommy protested weakly. "You can't just go!"

"Just watch us!" The second Toucanmon laughed, and with that the two birds took off running again.

Tommy could only watch them disappear, unable to believe that they could just abandon him after what he did to help. He groaned in frustration and sadness, staring at the ground. "Now I'll never get the D-Tectors."

* * *

Sorcermon hurried up the icy slope, panting a little. He paused once, looking back towards the Autumn Fair. "Tommy! Tommy, where are you?" No answer came, so Sorcermon kept running up until he reached the edge of the crater and came to the vast, snowy landscape that surrounded the fair. He looked all around, but couldn't find any trace of the boy. "Tommy!" Sorcermon cupped his hands over his mouth. "Tommy! Answer me!" But still, no reply came. Sorcermon groaned in concern and began running off, searching the snow for the youngest DigiDestined. "Oh if anything happens to him, I'll never forgive myself. I just have to find him!" He continued to call for Tommy, looking all around and praying the boy didn't freeze to death already.

The ice Majin paused in his running, taking in his surroundings. Then, he spotted a figure in the distance. "Tommy!" Sorcermon sighed in relief, running towards the figure. But he soon realized the figure was running towards him as well, and he stood much taller than Tommy. Sorcermon and the figure skidded to a halt, finally realizing each other.

"You!" Arbormon growled, glaring at Sorcermon.

"Arbormon!" Sorcermon glared back, standing ready to fight. He then spied the Toucanmon, bound and gagged, in Arbormon's grip. "The Toucanmon. Where's Tommy?"

"Don't know, don't care." Arbormon shrugged. "Now get outta my way, right? I gotta date with some D-Tectors."

Sorcermon still stood strong. "You want them? You'll have to go through me."

Arbormon tossed the Toucanmon and the object they carried to the ground. "Fine. You want another round of pain? You got it! _Roundhouse Punt!" _He detached one of his feet, swinging the appendage around towards Sorcermon. The ice Majin used his powers to move the snow around him, catching the attack before it could attack him. He pushed his hands forward, using the snow to push Arbormon to the ground. The Warrior of Wood rose quickly. "I'll admit, you got some skills. But it ain't good enough!"

Sorcermon glared hard, then lunged for another attack. But when he jumped and threw a kick towards Arbormon's face, the taller Digimon suddenly grabbed his ankle and threw him into the ground. Sorcermon shouted in pain as Arbormon repeatedly smashed him into the ground before throwing him aside, leaving the Majin lying in the snow. Arbormon chuckled darkly as he approached, taking his time while Sorcermon struggled to rise.

"You won't win." Sorcermon growled, glaring at the approaching Digimon.

Arbormon snorted. "What, you think you can stop us? You're just a puny Majin, right? You think you can protect those kids? You couldn't even protect Seraphimon. There's no place for you in this world; you're too weak."

Sorcermon's fists clenched and his eyes squeezed shut. "No, I'm not."

"Sure you are." Arbormon shrugged, finally reaching Sorcermon. "And because I'm a nice guy, I'll put ya out of your misery." He raised a foot with the express intent of smashing Sorcermon's skull underneath it. "Bye-bye weak little Majin."

Sorcermon's eyes flew open in a fierce glare.

Arbormon smashed his foot down, but blinked in surprise to see Sorcermon no longer at his feet. The ice Majin appeared behind him, using the snow to lift Arbormon into the air and throw him to the ground. Arbormon stood again, but cringed just the slightest at the murderous glare in Sorcermon's eyes.

"_I am not weak!" _Sorcermon shouted. "I was trained by the three Celestial Digimon who guarded our world. They gave me a home and a purpose in this life, and made me who I am today!" His fists clenched tightly. "And then you took them away. I may have lost my masters, but that doesn't change who I am! I am a guardian to the protectors of this world, and I will do whatever it takes to protect Tommy and the DigiDestined. They're the Legendary Warriors, and they'll defeat Cherubimon to bring peace to the Digital World. _And I will die before I let you stop them!"_

Arbormon jumped when Sorcermon suddenly began to glow with a pure white aura. The snow at his feet began to swirl and float around the Majin, almost against his will. Even the Toucanmon stared in awe. Sorcermon stared as the glowing aura around him combined with the snow floating before him, and he reached out to grab it. At his touch, the snow and white light solidified into a new wand, identical to his old one. Smirking, Sorcermon twirled the staff skillfully before aiming it at Arbormon.

"Oh, this ain't good." Arbormon gulped.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon launched a wave of the ice shards, hitting Arbormon and sending him to the ground. Sorcermon still smirked. "Now _that's _more like it."

Arbormon glared a little as he stood. "All right, you're lucky I don't have time to mess around with ya. I got places to be." He suddenly pulled out a small grey sphere and smashed it against the ground, causing a cloud of smoke to erupt around them. Sorcermon coughed from the smoke, trying to wave it away as he searched for Arbormon. But when his vision finally cleared, he realized with a start that the Warrior of Wood disappeared, taking the Toucanmon and their object with him.

"No!" Sorcermon growled, kicking the snow. He clenched his fists, then looked down to see his staff still in his hand. He sighed, rubbing the metal rod with his thumb. Staring at his reflection in the snowflake ornament, a dejected Majin stared back at him. Sighing again, Sorcermon resumed his search for Tommy. Now that he had his wand, he could use his magic to better locate the boy, and within moments he discovered said DigiDestined trudging through the snow towards him.

Tommy looked up to see a figure running towards him, and while he still felt a little numb he perked up a bit when he saw who it was. "Sorcermon?"

"Tommy!" Sorcermon called as he hurried to the boy. "I was worried sick about you! Where have you—?" Sorcermon jumped when Tommy suddenly wrapped his arms around his stomach, burying his face in the Majin's clothes. He could feel the young brunette trembling, and muffled sobs escaped his throat. "Tommy, what's wrong?" Sorcermon gently pried Tommy off his stomach and knelt down to be more at his eye level. "Tommy, what happened?"

Tommy desperately tried to stop crying, to no avail. "I-I found the T-Toucanmon. Th-they traded our D-D-Tectors…..th-they fell through the ice….I didn't w-wanna save them…but I couldn't just leave them there!" He burst into sobs again, hugging Sorcermon once more. "They ran off! They just took the thing th-they traded our D-Tectors for and ran away!" He buried his face in Sorcermon's shoulder. "I-I'm sorry! I tr-tried to get the D-Tectors back, but…but…" He couldn't continue, sobbing his eyes out.

Sorcermon felt a little uneasy at first, not really one for personal contact like this. But his heart broke at the sound of Tommy's sobs, and he slowly wrapped his arms around the boy and gave him a gentle squeeze. "It's okay, Tommy." Sorcermon shushed him. "Everything's going to be fine."

"I-I c-couldn't…"

"Don't worry about it. We'll figure this out. I promise."

* * *

Datamon waited patiently for Tommy to return, actually hoping that the boy would make it back in time and wondering what he would have to trade. But he certainly didn't expect his door to suddenly get broken down to reveal a doll-like, wooden Digimon standing at the entrance.

"Knock, knock." Arbormon greeted. "It always pays to be polite, right."

Datamon scoffed as he approached. "Yeah, you were real polite to my door." He jumped as Arbormon suddenly dropped the Toucanmon and the object they had at his feet.

"You's got somethin' these bird brains traded, and _I _want it." Arbormon ordered.

Datamon glanced at the clock. _Eight more minutes….I guess I did say one hour exactly._

"Hey, I'm talking to you!" Arbormon snapped. "Take this thing back and give me the other things."

Datamon stared at Arbormon. "Maybe. But first I have to check out the goods." He lifted up the object, which only he knew was actually a camera, and peered into the lens.

Arbormon grumbled a bit. "Yeah, well, you better be quick about it. Or else."

Datamon noticed the camera had recently been used, and he clicked through the recording. He blinked in surprise to see Tommy rescuing the Toucanmon from drowning, only for the Toucanmon to take the camera and run away. _So…that kid really was telling the truth…or at least part of it…. _"Sorry, buddy. Looks like I'm gonna have to turn down your _generous _offer."

"That's better." Arbormon realized what Datamon said. "What?!"

Datamon looked to Arbormon. "I have another customer."

Arbormon glared fiercely. "Hand it over or you'll never have another customer!"

Meanwhile, Sorcermon and Tommy managed to get back to the fair and meet up with Kouji, Takuya, Bokomon, and Neemon, whom were warned by Neemon about Tommy's departure. After Sorcermon explained what happened, they decided to walk over to Datamon's shop and explain things, hopefully while also getting their D-Tectors back. But as they walked, they heard a resonating _CRASH _coming from within the back alleys of the fair.

"Datamon!" Tommy gasped, picking up speed with the others close behind him.

Datamon glared at Petaldramon, infuriated at the destruction of his shop. "That's it! No one messes with my store! _Nano Swarm!" _He launched the attack, causing several little red creatures to slam into Petaldramon's face. But he jumped in surprise to see the attack hardly left a scratch.

"_Leaf Cyclone!" _Petaldramon launched the attack, blasting Datamon into the counter and forcing him to slump to the ground.

"Petaldramon!"

The mentioned Digimon turned to see Kouji, Takuya, Tommy, Sorcermon, Bokomon, and Neemon arrived. He chuckled. "Oh, this is gonna be good." He lunged for them, Kouji and Takuya picking up pieces of rubble to use for weapons.

Tommy, Sorcermon, Neemon, and Bokomon hurried to Datamon's side. "Hey, are you all right, Datamon?"

Datamon groaned as he awoke. "Yeah, I'm fine. Oh, it's you."

Tommy looked down, ashamed and beginning to cry again. "I couldn't find anything to trade. And I tried so hard…" He froze when Datamon gently put a hand to the side of his head, and he saw the formerly grouchy Digimon now smiling warmly.

"You did just fine, Kid." Datamon assured with a soft chuckle. "You ever hear the expression that 'truth is the greatest treasure'?"

"No." Tommy admitted.

Datamon chuckled again, holding out Tommy's D-Tector. "Go on, take it. You know, at first, I just thought you were making up stories because you wanted these things so badly. But you truly deserve to have them."

Tommy grinned, nodding happily. "Thanks, Datamon!"

"But, uh, don't tell anyone I've gone soft, okay?" Datamon muttered. Tommy blinked in surprise, shaking his D-Tector. Something felt different to him. Datamon laughed. "It's not broken. But I did add something."

"Like what?" Tommy asked.

"What you won in the game." Datamon said. "It's really yours after all."

Tommy took a look, and he noticed the glowing object from the game appear on his screen. But the glow died to reveal a Spirit Totem, coupled with his symbol for the Warrior of Ice. "My Beast Spirit! You are awesome, Datamon!"

"If you're going to get in there, I suggest you do it quickly!" Sorcermon urged, causing them to turn in time to see Petaldramon lunge for Kouji and Takuya.

Tommy glared, growling in anger. "Let's do this!" He summoned a sphere of fractal code rings around his hand, scanning it and starting the evolution.

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution!" Korikakumon!"_

Petaldramon lunged, with the full intent of swallowing his smaller opponents whole, but suddenly felt something grab his tail and pull him back. Looking back, he saw a giant, yeti-like creature with a tight grip on his tail.

"Korikakumon!" Bokomon gasped. "The Legendary Beast Warrior of Ice!"

Datamon stared in shock. "So it really is true. Humans have the power to turn into Digimon."

Petaldramon, at the sight of the new enemy, growled and turned to fight Korikakumon. The icy beast Digimon responded with a firm punch to the snout, sending Petaldramon flying back. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Korikakumon crouched down and folded his hands, as though praying.

"Tommy, what in the world are you doing?" Bokomon cried. "This is no time for reflection!"

"Behind you, look out!" Datamon cried, Sorcermon herding them all away as Petaldramon tackled Korikakumon to the ground. But Korikakumon easily shoved him off, growling.

"_Avalanche Axes!" _Korikakumon growled, summoning two large, double-bladed battle axes and taking them into his hands. He focused his energy, and suddenly disappeared before everyone's eyes. Petaldramon barely had time to look up before Korikakumon came down and struck him repeatedly with the axes, once more sending his opponent flying. Then, once more to everyone's surprise, Korikakumon began stomping around and laughing as though to perform some kind of victory dance.

"There's something you don't see every day." Kouji noted.

"He can't control his Spirit." Takuya chuckled. "He sure looks silly, doesn't he?"

"Not as silly as _you _looked trying to beat up your friends, Mr. Pot-Calling-the-Kettle-Black." Bokomon snapped.

Petaldramon jumped to his feet again, waving his tail about. "Boy are you gonna regret that!" He stabbed the two points of his tail into the ground. _"Thorn Jab!"_ Several lengths of thorny vines shot from the ground around Korikakumon, entrapping him in the snares.

"Here!" Datamon called, tossing Takuya and Kouji their D-Tectors. "Help out your friend, guys!"

"Hey you overgrown weed!" Sorcermon shouted, running towards Petaldramon and smacking the large Digimon's snout with his staff. "Why don't you pick on somebody one-tenth your size?"

"Oh yeah?" Petaldramon growled, snapping his jaws at Sorcermon as the Majin jumped away. "I'll be picking you out of my teeth by the time I'm through with you!"

"How about we heat things up a little?" Agunimon suddenly ran into battle, fists aflame. He and Lobomon sliced through the vines holding Korikakumon, freeing the beast Digimon. Korikakumon lunged forward, slamming into Petaldramon and pushing him all the way through the town, up the ice slope and over the edge. He threw Petaldramon aside, growling.

"_Frozen Arrowheads!" _Korikakumon's braids moved like tentacles, the arrowheads on the end stabbing into Petaldramon and pushing him so hard he skidded across the ice and out of sight.

"I'll be back!" Petaldramon shouted as he disappeared into the sunset.

Korikakumon gave a soft growl, going back into his meditative stance. Agunimon, Lobomon, and Sorcermon finally caught up with him and sighed in relief to see Korikakumon unharmed.

"Way to go, Korikakumon!" Agunimon complimented. "That was awesome!"

"Well done." Sorcermon nodded. Lobomon mimicked the gesture.

Korikakumon smiled, chuckled warmly. "Thanks. But I do have one question: how do I turn back to normal?"

* * *

By the time the entire group could find each other and meet up near the Trailmon tracks, it became very late. But Tommy and Sorcermon took the time to explain the Beast Spirit and how Sorcermon got a new wand.

"_Molto bene!" _Zoe complimented, she and everyone else amazed by the story.

"I'm just glad I didn't hurt you guys when I got my Beast Spirit." Tommy said gratefully.

"Why does everyone have to bring that up?" Takuya complained.

"_DigiDestined."_

Everyone jumped, the humans pulling out their D-Tectors. "Ophanimon!" Takuya gasped.

"Lady Ophanimon?" Sorcermon breathed.

"_It is good to hear from you, Sorcermon." _Ophanimon's voice said from the D-Tector. Sorcermon looked down, looking mournful.

"Seraphimon turned into a Digi-Egg." Zoe reported sadly.

"_Yes, I know." _Ophanimon said sadly. _"Sorcermon, you mustn't blame yourself for that. You are doing very well."_

Sorcermon looked up in surprise, but nodded. "Yes milady."

"So what are we supposed to do about it?" Kouji asked Ophanimon.

"_Before I tell you, you must know that this is a crucial point." _Ophanimon warned. _"You can stop now, or face the dangerous road ahead. Will you accept the risk?"_

The DigiDestined exchanged looks and nodded. "You better believe we will!" Takuya assured.

"_You must be certain." _Ophanimon said seriously. _"All of you."_

"I don't think I've ever been more certain of anything in my life." Zoe said.

"Me either." Kouji agreed.

"Yeah!" Tommy nodded.

"So what do we do now, Ophanimon?" Kouji asked.

"_Head for the Rose Morning Star, and then—" _But Ophanimon's symbol began to flicker, and suddenly it faded away as the connection broke.

"What did you say? Ophanimon!" Kouji cried. The DigiDestined exchanged sad looks, wishing they could've asked Ophanimon more.

"What is a Rose Morning Star?" Neemon asked.

Bokomon looked around before pointing. "That right there!" Everyone looked in the distance, where a rose-purple colored shape floated in the dark clouds.

"A star?" J.P. said. "How are we supposed to get there?"

"We're not going to the star; we're going to what's beneath it." Bokomon corrected.

"All that way?" J.P. groaned.

"Yeah, it looks pretty far." Takuya noted. "We have to walk there?" Everyone slumped down at the thought of all that walking they would have to do.

Zoe perked up. "Presto!" She held up several Trailmon passes, one for each of the group members.

"What are those?" Takuya asked.

"These are Trailmon tickets!" Zoe said triumphantly. "Remember that eating contest? Well this is grand prize for scarfing thirty plates of that horrible food in an hour. Do I rock or what?"

"Well, then come on guys!" Takuya urged. "Let's head for that star!" Everyone else voiced their agreements. They quickly found a Trailmon and boarded, instructing the train Digimon to take them to the Rose Morning Star. Soon they were on their way, with everything going right for them for once.


	6. Episode 18

**Episode 18**

The scenery didn't offer much on the ride to the Rose Morning Star, so the group decided to sleep once the train got moving. All except Sorcermon, who insisted on staying awake should any danger arise. Zoe tried to insist that he get some rest, to no avail. The next morning, the view still hadn't changed much, so the DigiDestined spent much of their time staring at their D-Tectors.

"Korikakumon, my very own Beast Spirit." Tommy said, staring happily at the picture of his Beast Spirit. "Together there's nothing you and I can't do."

"Zephyrmon, you're becoming more a part of me every day and I couldn't be happier." Zoe said with a slight coo in her tone.

Kouji stared at his D-Tector. "KendoGarurumon. What awaits us at the Rose Morning Star?"

J.P. stared at his friends. "Have you guys gone nuts? What are you talking to your Digivices for?"

"Don't knock it till you've tried it, my friend." Bokomon shrugged, bouncing around with the egg.

J.P. huffed. "Oh, excuse me, Mr. Bouncy Wouncy."

"He likes it when we bounce." Bokomon shrugged.

Sorcermon stood off on the other end of the train car, twirling his staff and jabbing it a few times at invisible opponents. Takuya looked to the ice Majin with a smile. "Feel nice to have a weapon back in your hands?"

"Yes." Sorcermon nodded, finishing his practice. "Now I'm twice as strong as I would be without it."

"You'd be even stronger if you got some rest last night." Zoe said in a scolding tone.

"I told you, I don't need sleep." Sorcermon gave a small yawn, rubbing his eyes a bit.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say."

A Digimon pushing a cart entered the car. "Goodly morning! Now, would anyone like a little snacky?"

"Me!" Zoe said excitedly. "I would!"

"It costs money, you know." Takuya reminded her.

"I know." Zoe said, rummaging in her pockets. But she found to her dismay that she was completely broke. The Digimon continued on, calling out the various snacks she had to sell. "Wait! Can I just owe you for one?"

"We're almost there." Bokomon reminded her. Zoe still seemed bummed, especially when her stomach made a strange growling sound. Bokomon only chuckled, then gasped. "It's kicking! My baby is kicking!" Everyone stared at Bokomon strangely as he began dancing around and humming to the egg.

"Station coming up!" The Trailmon suddenly called. "Everybody off that's gettin'!" After a few minutes, the Trailmon stopped and everyone filed off, looking around to discover they landed in a quaint little town.

"Wow, this place is great!" Zoe breathed. "Look at all the cool houses!" She cooed in Italian.

"Hey, where are we?" Takuya asked, realizing this wasn't the right stop.

"Now that's a good question." J.P. mused.

"I thought this was the Rose Morning Star Express." Zoe said as they turned to the Trailmon.

"Not today!" the Trailmon whooped, forcing everyone to cover their ears. "It's the Great Trailmon Race! And I'm gonna win!" He took off, leaving the group in the dust as he sped down the tracks.

"Hey wait!" Takuya called after him. "Just what is this Great Trailmon Race?" But the Trailmon already disappeared.

"Well, if we're stuck here we might as well look around." Kouji shrugged, spurring everyone to begin walking through the town.

"I'm looking, and I'm kind of liking." J.P. nodded. As they all looked around, the layout of the town seemed to have a Barcelona, Italy kind of feel. Digimon talked and chatted in various spots, but most of them were heading in the same direction. Curious, the DigiDestined and their Digimon companions followed to find the starting line for the Trailmon race. Several Trailmon lined up, ready to go, while the crowd cheered loudly.

"What's going on?" Zoe asked.

"Seven Trailmon." Tommy breathed.

A scarecrow Digimon piped up. "And seven riders. Each of the Trailmon is ridden by someone. They work as a team. Trailmon riding is dangerous business!"

"Excuse me!" cried one of the Trailmon. "I can't seem to find my partner."

"Is there some incredible grand prize for the winners?" Zoe asked.

"The cheeseburgers—" that's as far as the Digimon got before Zoe suddenly took off to the Trailmon.

"Hi, right here! I'll be your partner!" Zoe offered.

"Well, uh…" clearly the Trailmon looked hesitant, and suddenly another Digimon jumped down to glare at Zoe, another smaller one joining him.

"He's already got a partner." The werewolf-like Digimon growled. The smaller dog Digimon gave a round of wheezing laughter. "Dogmon, will you please let me handle this?!"

"Oh goody, together again!" The dark blue Trailmon said happily. "And a good thing, too. I'd never win with a human riding me."

"Hey!" Zoe snapped. "That's a rude thing to say!"

"Forget this!" One of the Digimon riders cried. "I'm not racing ShadowWereGarurumon!" Suddenly, all the Digimon riders abandoned their Trailmon and ran off in fear.

"Now I don't have a rider." A mole-shaped Trailmon groaned.

"I'll do it!" Zoe offered quickly. "If that's okay with you."

"Really?" the mole Trailmon asked happily. "That'd be swell."

"If she's riding, I'm riding!" J.P. said, approaching a Trailmon that looked like a teal bullet train. "What do you say, big guy?"

"This sounds like fun!" Takuya agreed, standing before a worm-like Trailmon with large, sharp teeth. "I'm in!"

"Then don't blow it!" The Trailmon snapped, making Takuya jump.

"You? Und me?" an angler-shaped Trailmon with a thick Austrian accent asked.

Tommy nodded. "And Sorcermon can join us. Right, Sorcermon?"

"I don't see why not." Sorcermon shrugged.

Kouji stood before the final Trailmon, who was just as aloof as himself. "Eh, yeah, whatever. Climb on."

"Gee, thanks." Kouji huffed.

Neemon stood before the final Trailmon, this one duck-shaped. "How come I have to ride in the race? I don't wanna."

Bokomon sat up on a ledge, staring down at them. "Well, he wanted me but I can't because I'm with egg." Neemon shrugged and climbed on, as did the other riders with their Trailmon. A Piddomon came down to survey the race, and a timer began counting down to begin. The second the timer reached 0, the Trailmon took off and began tearing down the tracks. All except Neemon and his Trailmon, since Neemon fell asleep and his Trailmon soon followed.

J.P. and Trailmon Raccoon Dog stayed neck to neck with Trailmon Buffalo, ridden by ShadowWereGarurumon and Dogmon. Trailmon Mole and Zoe came up close behind. Buffalo began pulling ahead, much to J.P.'s chagrin as Dogmon laughed at him, and the boy suddenly Spirit Evolved to Beetlemon. This didn't do much good except show off a cool look, especially when Raccoon Dog had to skid to halt because of a Raremon on the tracks. Just the smell of Raremon's breath made J.P. dedigivolve, and he hurriedly scrambled away as the curious Raremon climbed up onto the Trailmon after him. The rest of the Trailmon passed by with only sympathetic looks or laughs.

"Catch you later, J.P.!" Zoe laughed.

Buffalo soon gained more ground, but now Trailmon Worm and Takuya were catching up to him and soon surpassed the blue Trailmon completely. ShadowWereGarurumon growled angrily.

"Adios, Fuzz Face!" Takuya mocked.

ShadowWereGarurumon pounded on Buffalo's hull. "You. Must. Go. _Faster!_"

"Hitting me is not helping!" Buffalo snapped.

"Oh why do these races always have hills?" Mole moaned as he climbed up the incline. "I hate hills!" He struggled to climb, watching helplessly as some Tanemon bounced past him.

"Mole, don't give up now!" Zoe encouraged. "We're almost there!"

"Hey Zoe!" Tommy called, waving from his spot on Angler. He and Kouji were already passing Zoe. "Better hurry up!" Tommy teased. Zoe groaned in frustration.

"Now Tommy, that's not very sportsmanlike." Sorcermon scolded gently.

"I thought the Trailmon races were kind of an 'every Trailmon for himself' thing." Tommy said innocently. "After all, they _are_ supposed to be dangerous."

"True, but that doesn't mean you have to sink to their level." Sorcermon pointed out. A sudden explosion made them jump, and they looked ahead to see the bridge completely taken out. Kouji managed to jump it, but there was no telling whether or not Zoe, Tommy, and Sorcermon's Trailmon would be that lucky.

"Stop!" Tommy cried, the Trailmon putting on their brakes. But no matter how hard they braked they knew they'd never stop in time. "Time to evolve!"

"And fast!" Zoe agreed. They pulled out their D-Tectors, Spirit Evolving in a flash. Kumamon leaped to the ground and conformed himself into ice, stretching across the gap and allowing Sorcermon to steer Angler to the other side. Mole shot off the rail and began falling, but Kazemon swooped down and managed to catch him before he hit the rocky river below. She struggled and strained a bit, but managed to flap her wings and carry Mole back up to solid ground. Angler seemed a little shaken, but could continue on at Kumamon's encouragement.

"Kumamon, wait!" Kazemon pleaded, accidentally dropping Mole on the ground while she landed right on her butt. She dedigivolved back to Zoe again, and the blonde pouted before shouting. "This stinks! I just wanted a cheeseburger! Is that so wrong?"

The race continued on, leaving poor Zoe in the dust. The tracks led to a canyon area, with narrow pathways and not very many opportunities to pass other Trailmon.

Takuya stared down at the deep ravine, whimpering a little. "Relax, kid." Worm assured. "You got nothing to worry about." Suddenly, Buffalo rammed into Worm's caboose, jerking him forward and almost knocking Takuya out of the Trailmon. Buffalo continued to ram Worm, almost as though to knock him off the tracks. Takuya struggled to not get through off, feeling the slightest bits of whiplash.

"Stop it!" Takuya shouted. "What, are you crazy?"

"I guess you could say that, yes!" ShadowWereGarurumon laughed maniacally.

"Cut that out!" Worm snapped as Buffalo continued to ram him.

"I think I've had about enough of this!" Takuya growled. But suddenly Buffalo gave an extra-hard body slam and Takuya suddenly flew out of the seat. He shouted in terror as he began falling down to the ravine.

"Takuya!" Kouji cried from his Trailmon.

"Hang on!" Kumamon called as he summoned his large red skis, skating down the side of the cliff towards Takuya. Sorcermon was right behind him, creating an icy path for the two of them to slide down and reach Takuya. Kumamon carefully timed himself, then Sorcermon managed to loop the ice around and the white bear Digimon reached a paw out, grabbing Takuya's gloved hand and jerking him up a ways. Takuya sighed. "Sweet grab! Tommy, Sorcermon, I owe you one!" Kumamon only smiled, managing to slide back up the cliff a ways before dropping Takuya and returning to Angler with Sorcermon.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Agunimon!"_

Agunimon shot himself up to Worm again, turning to face ShadowWereGarurumon. Dogmon cowered in his seat at the sight of the fiery Digimon. "You're not playing nice!" Agunimon growled.

"I never play nice! Or fair!" ShadowWereGarurumon snarled, standing to face Agunimon. He leaped into the air, shouting _"Full Moon Kick" _as he planted his heel into Agunimon's face. Agunimon wouldn't be deterred, slamming his fists together to summon fire from his bracelets.

"_Pyro Darts!" _Agunimon launched the flames as ShadowWereGarurumon lunged again, sending the black werewolf back to his seat. Dogmon threw a bomb, successfully knocking Agunimon back again.

"All right, settle down back there!" Worm scolded, not fully aware of what happened on his back.

On a ledge above them, Kouji and his Trailmon finally managed to catch up to the battle. Kouji jumped off the Trailmon, diving down towards the fight and Spirit Evolving along the way. Lobomon landed behind ShadowWereGarurumon and Dogmon, drawing his Lobo Kendo and lunging.

"I don't think so!" ShadowWereGarurumon sneered, darting towards Lobomon with claws ready. The two of them collided, but bounced apart again just as quickly, neither having left a mark.

"You okay, Lobomon?" Agunimon asked.

"Yeah." The wolf Digimon confirmed, not taking his eyes off his opponents.

"Then let's see how Wolf boy handles this one!" Agunimon summoned more fire, concentrating his power. _"Pyro Tornado!" _The flaming whirlwind shot towards ShadowWereGarurumon, Dogmon jumping away just in time, and the flames gave Agunimon the perfect cover to land a powerful kick to the werewolf's chest.

"Uh, hate to bug ya, but I got a little problem!" Kouji's Trailmon called.

"Why? What's wrong?" Lobomon asked.

"That drooling mutt's eating my brakes!" The Trailmon warned. Lobomon locked his gaze on Dogmon, lunging towards the yellow Digimon. But Dogmon stretched like rubber and successfully made it back to Buffalo without a scratch. He gave another round of wheezing laughs. Agunimon jumped back as ShadowWereGarurumon swiped his claws, the Warrior of Fire's mind racing with how he could end this quickly.

"Uh, heads up!" Worm suddenly called. "Low bridge!" Agunimon turned just in time to see a tunnel, and he fell flat on his stomach to avoid getting knocked off. ShadowWereGarurumon and Dogmon mimicked him as Buffalo followed them into the tunnel. Meanwhile, Lobomon jumped in front of his Trailmon and pushed against the large Digimon, digging his foot claws into the ground to stop him.

"Does it bother you that we don't seem to be slowing down? At all?" the Trailmon asked sarcastically.

"This should be working!" Lobomon growled. It only got worse when they suddenly began traveling downhill, and even Lobomon's desperate attempts to stop didn't work. Suddenly, his feet fell into open air as he and the Trailmon shot right off the edge of the cliff.

"Kouji!" Kumamon cried, diving down towards his falling friends in his icy form. "Gotcha!" He managed to catch the falling Trailmon, Lobomon grabbing the edge just long enough to slow his fall. The other end of Kumamon's icy form attached to Angler while he and Sorcermon stood up on another ledge.

"Nice catch, Tommy!" Lobomon complimented. _"Lobomon Slide Evolution! KendoGarurumon!" _ The Beast Digimon stabbed his claws into the cliff face, stopping his fall.

"Angler, shift to reverse!" Sorcermon groaned, straining to push Angler away from the cliff edge.

"I can't! My little tootsies are slipping!" Angler cried, struggling to hold the weight of both Kumamon and the other Trailmon. Sorcermon dug his heels into the dirt and stone, pressing himself against Angler, but he could feel the weight of the Trailmon pushing them over the edge.

"Just hang on!" Kumamon pleaded.

"I can't!" Angler cried, suddenly going over the edge and taking Sorcermon and Kumamon with him. The four of them shouted as they began plummeting to the ground.

"I'm coming, guys!" KendoGarurumon called, shooting up towards them. Miraculously, he managed to catch his Trailmon and Angler each on his back, setting them on the ground before grabbing Kumamon by his backpack and Sorcermon by his cape.

"Nice catch yourself!" Kumamon complimented.

"Yeah, you can say that again." Angler sighed in relief.

"Can we never do this again?" Sorcermon requested, looking shaken but fine. KendoGarurumon and Kumamon laughed as they dedigivolved, also looking wiped out from the adrenaline rush.

"Hey, uh, thanks." Kouji's Trailmon said.

Kouji smirked and nodded. "Sure."

The Trailmon seemed to roll his eyes. "Look, I don't want to overdo it or anything, but I owe you my life, blah blah blah….."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Kouji assured.

"I guess we're outta the race, huh?" Tommy said with a laugh. "Guess it's all up to Takuya!"

Back in the tunnel, Worm let out a few rounds of his horn, as though to use the echolocation along with his lights to see the way. Agunimon remained crouched down to avoid hitting his head. "They're right behind us!" he warned.

"And that's where I plan to keep 'em!" Worm assured, not dropping speed in the slightest. Suddenly, they came to a more open space that Agunimon noticed was more like an abandoned mine. Little fire Digimon called DemiMeramon floated about, watching the show with shining blue eyes. Buffalo still remained right behind Worm, determined to catch up. "Hang on!" Worm warned. "We're taking a shortcut!"

"Sounds good to me!" Agunimon agreed. But they didn't make it very far down the shortcut before Dogmon, up on another ledge with Buffalo and ShadowWereGarurumon, threw down several bombs that exploded in Worm's path. Worm suddenly swerved right off the tracks, grunting in pain as he floored into the dirt and stone.

"Big rocks! Whacking me in the teeth! Not good!" Worm groaned before he finally skidded to a halt.

"I told you this is _my _race, boy!" ShadowWereGarurumon laughed as Buffalo continued on and out the exit tunnel.

Agunimon jumped off Worm to check out the damage. It seemed the Trailmon was unharmed, but now stuck in a large ditch. "So what do we do now?"

"You mean other than dig me outta this hole?" Worm sassed. "Hey, buddy, let me ask you this: you smell gasoline, or is it just me?"

Agunimon heard the sound of something bubbling and trickling, and he glanced over to see oil and gasoline spilling out from a nearby tank. He gulped. "I don't think it's you!" Then, to his horror, he noticed one of the DemiMeramon floating towards the highly flammable liquid. Before Agunimon could react, the fire Digimon touched the liquid and instantly set it aflame, engulfing the entire area.

Outside the tunnel, Piddomon waited for whoever would emerge first, knowing the first one out would most likely be the winner. But the tension and suspense rose as nobody exited the cave at all. Then, a train horn rang out as Buffalo shot from the tunnel, much to most of the crowd's displeasure. Worm didn't make an appearance, so Piddomon landed to check. Two seconds later, a bright flash erupted from the tunnel and forced the angel Digimon to fly up and avoid the flaming Worm shooting from the tunnel.

"_Agunimon Slide Evolution! BurningGreymon!"_

Powered by the fire and accompanied by the giggling DemiMeramon, Worm shot forward right through the rocks. ShadowWereGarurumon urged Buffalo to move faster, but Worm and BurningGreymon were already gaining speed.

"What do you say we give these guys the hot one?" Worm smirked.

"I like the sound of that!" BurningGreymon agreed, flying above Worm. _"Wildfire Tsunami!" _He launched the fire into Worm's engine compartment.

"Yummy!" Worm laughed, opening his mouth to shoot the fire into Buffalo's caboose. The force of the blast and the desire to get away from the sheer heat forced Buffalo right off the tracks and crashing into the dirt, tossing his riders to the ground. Dogmon laughed at the state of his companion, only ShadowWereGarurumon to punch him aside.

Worm jumped back onto the tracks, BurningGreymon dedigivolving to Takuya so the boy could land on the Trailmon's back once more. Takuya smiled proudly as he was greeted by a roaring crowd and his friends waiting at the finish line.

Piddomon finally caught up as Worm grinded to a halt. "Congratulations, Worm and Takuya. As the winners, you have won a trip to the fabulous—"

"Wait a minute, what about the cheeseburger?" Zoe asked.

Piddomon blinked (or at least they assumed he did) in surprise. "There must be some mistake. The grand prize is a trip to Hamburger Digimon Village."

Zoe looked a little disappointed. "So no food?"

A pink Digimon wearing what looked like a hamburger bun for a hat came up. "Of course there is! You'll soon have more burgers than you can eat up in a lifetime!"

Zoe's stomach immediately began grumbling, and she blushed fiercely. The rest of the DigiDestined laughed good-heartedly, but Zoe only frowned at them. "Yeah, yeah, laugh all you want! My grumbling tummy is nothing compared to the noises I've heard _you _guys make."

"Hamburger Digimon Village." Tommy looked to Sorcermon. "Is it nice over there?"

"Oh yes." Sorcermon nodded. "It's a nice little village full of peaceful Digimon."

"And there's nothing dangerous, is there?" Takuya asked, albeit nervously.

"Don't worry." Sorcermon assured. "There's nothing there that's going to kill us."


	7. Episode 19

**A/N: Like I promised, I updated the next two really quickly. I've been super busy but since I have quite a few chapters of this story done I figured I shouldn't have to keep you all waiting. Those of you waiting on TMNT, I humbly ask for your patience.**

* * *

**Episode 19**

Worm traveled at high speeds towards Burgermon Village, carrying the DigiDestined along with him. After the Trailmon Race, the DigiDestined decided to spend some time in the village before traveling, Worm running throughout the night and into the next day.

"So what's the story on this Hamburger Village?" Takuya asked.

"It's a hamburger lover's paradise, my boy." Bokomon replied, looking through his book.

"Sounds great!" Zoe said excitedly.

"Bring on the beef!" Takuya cheered.

"Yeah!" J.P. began drooling a little. "I'm going to eat my body weight, maybe even all of ours in burgers!"

"What about you, Sorcermon?" Tommy asked. "You like burgers?" At the lack of response, everyone glanced over to Sorcermon, who laid on one of the benches using his arm for a pillow. Everyone crept towards him and realized the ice Majin still slept soundly.

"Aw." Zoe cooed softly. "He's so cute when he's asleep."

"Poor guy's all tuckered out." Takuya chuckled quietly.

"Yeah." Tommy nodded. He looked around before finding a compartment under the bench and pulled out a heavy wool blanket, carefully draping it over Sorcermon as the group snuck over to the other side of the car, leaving the Majin to rest peacefully.

"With everything that guy's been through, it's no wonder he's so tired." Kouji noted, still speaking quietly so they wouldn't wake Sorcermon. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

"Getting put through all this craziness must really require a lot of energy from him." J.P. smirked.

Takuya looked down almost sadly. "You know, sometimes I feel bad for bringing him along." Everyone stared at him in confusion and surprise. "I mean, I'm glad we could save him from Ranamon, Arbormon, and Grumblemon; I wouldn't have changed that at all. But after we saved him, we sort of ripped him away from his home kind of like how we were."

"Good point." Zoe nodded, everyone sighing sadly. "I bet he's awfully homesick, just like us." It couldn't be denied; since Sorcermon lived only in the castle for so long, watching over Seraphimon, going through all of this and being so far from his home surely took its toll on him. None of them were really surprised that Sorcermon was out cold from exhaustion.

"Hey guys, I have an idea." Tommy said, drawing everyone's attention to him. "When we're done bringing peace to the Digital World, after we beat Cherubimon and bring back Seraphimon and Ophanimon, let's make sure Sorcermon gets home all right."

"That's a great idea, Tommy." Takuya nodded.

"Yeah, we'll make sure he, Ophanimon, and Seraphimon all get back home safely." Kouji agreed. "They'd do the same for us."

"That's very kind of you all." Bokomon said with a smile, patting Seraphimon's egg. "I'm sure it would make Sorcermon very happy to know you are thinking of him."

"Then it's decided." Zoe smiled towards Sorcermon. "Before we go home, we'll make sure they get back okay." The other DigiDestined nodded in agreement.

Sorcermon woke up a few hours later, and by then Worm finally arrived at Burgermon Village. However, the now-quiet town was a far cry from "paradise" as a major sandstorm whipped through the area. But the group pushed on, hoping to find good shelter where they could relax and eat. But an air of tension and sadness hung over the village, the sandstorm making it worse. After a while, the sandstorm finally eased up and then disappeared, and the group could clearly hear someone sobbing and the distressed cries of young Digimon. Spying the source, they approached a female Burgermon surrounded by her children.

"Um, excuse me?" Zoe asked kindly. "Are you all right?"

"Oh, no dear." The female Burgermon sniffled. "A giant Digimon raided our village. He said something about the three moons making him hungry, so my husband gave him a big plate of our best burgers."

"Now _I'm _hungry." Takuya muttered, only for Zoe to elbow him in the ribs.

"He liked them so much that he took my husband away to cook for him in his mansion!" the female Burgermon cried.

"Wow." Tommy breathed.

"Man, that's really messed up." Kouji huffed.

"Yeah, how are we supposed to get our hamburgers now?" J.P. demanded.

"Your compassion is astounding." Bokomon droned.

Sorcermon sighed. "So much for nothing's going to kill us here."

A couple of the Burgermon children flew closer to their mother. "Daddy is coming back, isn't he Mama?"

"Isn't he, Mama?" The other children chimed in.

MamaBurgermon wasn't sure what to say, not wanting to give her children false hope but also not wanting them to lose faith. She looked to the newcomers. "Please, young man, would you and your friends be able to help me find my husband?"

Takuya seemed unsure. "I suppose. But I wouldn't even know where to begin looking for him."

"The monster will bring Daddy back if we make a bigger burger." One of the children said.

"He means a 'better burger.'" MamaBurgermon corrected. "But I'm afraid that's impossible. My husband makes the best burgers around. There's no way anyone could make a better hamburger than my husband." She sighed sadly. "Oh what are we going to do?"

"The monster said that to get Daddy back, we have to have the better burger ready before he moves three times." One of the children piped up.

"No, silly." Another said. "He said before the three moons align."

"That's soon!" a third cried.

"He's right! We must do _something_." MamaBurgermon pleaded. "The three moons will align by nightfall and the Chamelemon will be back for their master's burger."

Zoe turned to the others with a determined look. "Then it's up to us! We can make a better burger!" The boys stared at her in confusion and surprise. "Come on! I think we've scarfed enough burgers in our time to be able to come up with _something _that at least looks right. And when the Chamelemon take it to the mansion, we'll follow them."

"Nice plan." J.P. nodded.

"Except that I've never cooked before." Kouji noted.

"Me neither." Takuya added. "But I'm willing to try."

"Me too." Tommy agreed. "Hey, I always used to watch my mom cook back home."

"I did a little cooking at the castle, but never a burger before." Sorcermon shrugged. "I guess there's a first time for everything."

Tommy looked to the Burgermon children. "Don't worry. We'll make the best hamburger ever and get your daddy back."

Zoe smiled. "I think this will be a good experience for us."

"Anything with food is a good experience for me!" J.P. smiled back.

"Yeah, especially when it's burgers." Tommy agreed.

"I don't even know what's in them." Takuya shrugged. "Guess I'll have to make it up."

"That's the whole idea." Tommy said. "We can each make one and have judges taste them."

"Takuya, this _will _be a friendly competition, right?" Zoe gave the goggled boy a pointed look.

"You worry too much, Zoe." Takuya scoffed.

"Yeah, no problem." Kouji added.

Zoe smiled and looked back to MamaBurgermon. "We may be a little rough, but we're ready."

The Burgermon children cheered happily while their mother bowed in gratitude, a smile plastered on her face. Bokomon happily offered to be the taste tester, only for Neemon to point out that he just wants to eat, much to everyone's amusement. MamaBurgermon led them all into her kitchen, laying out ingredients and various foodstuffs across the counters. The kids pulled on aprons and, in some of their cases, hair nets, and began piling food onto plates and carrying them to their stations. The Burgermon children looked a little nervous, noting how some of their guests looked like they never saw a kitchen before.

All except Sorcermon, who once he decided what he thought went into a burger went right to work in cooking. The Burgermon children watched in awe at the Majin's purposeful moves, slicing vegetables and cooking rice over the stove. Sorcermon noticed them watching, but only cooked faster as though to distract himself.

"You're pretty good at this." One of the children said, flying a little closer to Sorcermon.

"Uh…thanks….." Sorcermon shrugged, gathering the cut vegetables and freezing them solid with his powers. "I sort of had to feed myself more often than not, so I had some time to experiment."

A couple of the other children moved over to Tommy, who seemed to be having more trouble than the others. "You look lost." One of the children noted.

"Need any help?" the second asked.

Tommy held up a set of burger buns, staring at them confusedly. "Well the outside looks fine but I'm not sure what to put in the middle yet." The Burgermon children fell out of the air in distress. Tommy thought for a moment. "I'm thinking ground beef. Oh yeah, now I remember! Mom said onions give it flavor." Tommy picked up an onion and began to peel it, only for the fumes to make him start crying. Then, much to his surprise, the onion fell apart to only peels. "It all came apart! And there's nothing inside!"

"Not anything inside!" the Burgermon children cried, hugging. "We'll never get see Daddy again!"

"Never fear, the blade is here!" Tommy cried triumphantly, holding up a large meat cleaver. The Burgermon children yelped and darted away as Tommy began dicing up the onion peels.

MamaBurgermon came around to each of the children, checking on their work. "My children can't stop crying." She commented to Tommy, who also seemed unable to stop his tears as he chopped the onions.

"Yeah, neither can I." Tommy sighed. "Cooking's painful." He put the onions in a bowl and moved to grab more ingredients, rubbing his eyes with his apron. "My eyes hurt!" He suddenly lost his grip on the onion bowl and dropped them into a pot on the stove.

"Aw man!" J.P. groaned. "Not in my boiled eggs!"

Tommy hurriedly recovered the onions and washed them off. "I'm so sorry!" He stumbled a bit as he moved, suddenly bumping into a counter and tossing some of the onions into Zoe's mixing bowl.

"Tommy, that was my salad dressing." Zoe whined. But she gave Tommy the bowl, deciding to make more herself.

"Do you know what you're doing?" one of the Burgermon children asked as Tommy took the dressing back to his station.

"Pretty clumsy." A second one said.

Tommy groaned. "I don't know if I can use this now." He stuck his finger in the onion/dressing mix and put it in his mouth. He blinked in surprise. "Hey, it's pretty good!"

"Whoa Tommy!" one of the children said excitedly. "You invented a new flavor!"

"What was in that dressing?" Tommy wondered.

"I don't know but it sure made a difference!" the first child said.

Tommy smiled. "I'll just fry the ground beef and put this stuff on top!"

It took about an hour or so before everyone finished making their burger masterpieces, setting out several of them for Bokomon, Neemon, and the Burgermon to try. Many of the Burgermon children looked nervous, not exactly thrilled about the idea of trying the food in case it wasn't edible.

"Meatloaf and yakisoba noodles!" J.P. announced, holding up his burger. "Ladies and gentlemen, an exotic combination for a new generation!"

Bokomon smiled as he munched on one. "Well J.P., I'm surprised. It's actually edible."

"Here, try my Burger Italiano!" Zoe offered one of the sandwiches to Bokomon. "With cheese, tomato sauce, and lots of fresh-chopped mushrooms!" Neemon immediately stuffed three of them in his mouth, looking quite happy with the Italian themed food.

"What kind did you make, Sorcermon?" Tommy asked, peering over at Sorcermon's food.

The ice Majin rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Um, I'm not exactly sure. I just took some vegetables and rice, froze it to the right form, and then fried it in soy sauce."

J.P. took one, sniffed it, and then took a bit. "Yum! Not bad at all!"

"Very good!" Zoe agreed. "Simple, yet flavorful!" They all jumped at the sound of Bokomon and Neemon crying out in disgust. They glanced over to see Takuya and Kouji didn't fare so well with their burger creations: Takuya's was full of meat and topped with sardines and peanut butter while Kouji's was full of seafood and used white chocolate for a sauce.

Neemon approached the last tray. "Hmm, interesting. Is this one yours, Tommy?"

"Why, does it look bad?" Tommy asked nervously.

"No, we just need a break after the last ones." Bokomon sighed.

"Or get our stomachs pumped." Neemon added.

"Would you like some fresh tea?" MamaBurgermon offered. "Why don't we all take a short break? I'll bring your drinks outside for you in a minute."

"I'll help." Sorcermon offered, following MamaBurgermon to another section of the kitchen.

"It's so kind of you all to help us." MamaBurgermon said as she put a kettle on the stove and rummaged in a box for some tea bags.

"Thank the DigiDestined; they're the ones that are always so helpful." Sorcermon said, pulling some teacups down from a cabinet. "Though only children, they are kind and brave and strong, just like the Legendary Warriors they carry." He paused, staring at his faint reflection in the teacup. "Makes me wonder what right I have to be in their company."

"Well did they invite you to join them?" MamaBurgermon asked, pulling the whistling kettle off the heat and pouring the water into a teapot.

"Yes." Sorcermon nodded, setting the teacups on a tray.

"Well then what are you complaining for?" MamaBurgermon asked with a smile. "I say be thankful to have such nice friends. It's not every day you come across kindness like they give."

Sorcermon looked down, but smiled softly. "I guess so." He followed MamaBurgermon back out to the main room, where Kouji and Takuya had started cooking again in a furious competition over who could make the better burger between the two of them. MamaBurgermon only giggled as she and Sorcermon stepped outside.

"Tea time!" MamaBurgermon called cheerily. But she gasped in horror to see the Chamelemon marching off with Zoe, J.P., and Tommy trapped in the coils of their tails, her beloved children following them. "Wait! Where are you going? My babies!"

"Zoe! Tommy! J.P.!" Sorcermon called. "Come back!"

"I can't take much more of this." MamaBurgermon groaned as she suddenly fainted, barely giving Sorcermon time to catch her and gently set her down.

The ice Majin looked back and forth from the departing Chamelemon to Kouji and Takuya still inside. If he tried to get them to come along, the others would get too far ahead of him. "I have to help them." He decided, taking off after the Chamelemon. He groaned in frustration. "How hard it is to keep track of a bunch of kids?"

* * *

After they disappeared into the forest, the Chamelemon dropped their captives and forced them to march the rest of the way to the mansion.

"Move it!" one of them snapped.

"This is as fast as I ever move." J.P. complained.

"Quiet!" the same Chamelemon snapped again.

J.P. leaned in closer to Zoe. "Hey Zoe, maybe we should just Spirit Evolve."

"No." Zoe protested. "Not yet. If we follow along they'll lead us to the mansion. For now we have to just keep walking and do what they say, all right?"

"Makes sense to me." J.P. nodded. "Man you're smart, Zoe." Zoe only rolled her eyes and they kept walking, the Chamelemon surrounding them on every side to prevent escape should they try it. It took another half hour of walking before they reached the entrance of the mansion's grounds, and the three DigiDestined stared in awe. The mansion itself was barely visible, hidden by a large wall with only a tunnel to offer a pathway inside.

"It's no wonder they couldn't find the mansion." Zoe said. "It's pretty well hidden."

"Geez, and I though hiding chocolate bars was tough." J.P. breathed.

"You can't even see it from the forest." Tommy noted.

"Hurry up!" the Chamelemon pushed their captives forward. "The master's waiting!"

Several feet behind them, Sorcermon managed to keep hidden amongst the trees despite his white clothing illuminated every time he passed through moonlight. He pressed himself to the bark of the trees, staring at the Chamelemon as they herded Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. forward. The Majin took in a breath and let it out slowly. "All right. I can do this. No doubt there will be Chamelemon guarding the tunnel, so I'll have to find another way in." His eyes traveled up to the top of the wall around the mansion. "Maybe I could climb the trees and I can go over the wall. Then at least I won't be easily surrounded and I can—"

"Hey Sorcermon!"

The ice Majin shouted in surprise, slapping his hands over his mouth and spinning around. He let out the breath he didn't know he held when he saw the Burgermon children behind him. He put a hand to his chest, willing his heart to stop pounding so hard. "You almost gave me a heart attack!" Sorcermon hissed.

"We're sorry." One of the children said. "But we wanna help Daddy and Tommy and the others."

"It's too dangerous." Sorcermon protested. "Go back home to your mother."

"But we wanna help!" another child said. "We can take those guys no problem!"

"Yeah, let's go!" a third one called, spurring them all to fly off towards the tunnel.

"Wait!" Sorcermon called, running after them. "Don't!"

"Let's get in there and rescue our daddy!" the Burgermon children shouted. But a long tongue suddenly wrapped around them, trapping the children as the Chamelemon revealed themselves. Very quickly, the brave children became quite frightened.

"No!" Sorcermon shouted, lunging forward to save the children.

* * *

PapaBurgermon had grown used to the annoying Chamelemon by now, but he certainly didn't expect extra visitors/prisoners the next time they came around.

"Make another batch of those burgers for the master!" the Chamelemon ordered. "I'll be back later for them." He marched off, leaving them alone.

"What's going on?" PapaBurgermon asked as he approached the newcomers.

"We came to save you." Zoe said.

"Nice job." PapaBurgermon huffed. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Tommy." Tommy introduced himself. "We met your family in the village. They asked for help."

Worry became etched into PapaBurgermon's features. "Are they all right?"

"They're fine." J.P. assured. "But right now, we gotta concentrate on getting you out of this rotten place." The sound of heavy footsteps and distressed cries reached their ears, and they all turned to see the Burgermon children caught by one of the Chamelemon. Not only that, but another one was holding Sorcermon by the ankle in his tail.

"Put me down you walking handbag!" Sorcermon ordered, thrashing a bit to try and break free.

"Okay!" the Chamelemon laughed, opening the cage door and throwing Sorcermon inside with the others. Sorcermon growled a little, lunging for Chamelemon as the reptile locked the door. J.P. grabbed the Majin's arm to hold him back.

"Look what I found." The first Chamelemon laughed, still holding the rope tied around the Burgermon children. "If you want to keep them safe, you better start cooking, old man."

PapaBurgermon slumped in defeat, but Zoe marched up and glared at the Chamelemon. "We'll make as many hamburgers as you want. Just promise not to hurt them."

"Yeah, you got my word on it." The Chamelemon said nonchalantly as he and his companion marched off, taking the children with them.

"Wait! No, please!" PapaBurgermon cried, almost breaking down into tears at the sound of his children in so much terror.

"Your children are either very foolish or very brave." Sorcermon noted. "They insisted on coming to help save you."

"They're stinkin' cowards using little kids like that." J.P. growled.

PapaBurgermon sighed. "This is all my fault. Even my very best hamburgers aren't good enough."

Zoe looked to the youngest member of the group. "Tommy, I'm sorry I put you in danger. I had no idea any of this was going to happen."

"It's not your fault, Zoe." Sorcermon assured. "It would seem I can't leave you all alone for five minutes without something hurting you."

"But it was because of my plan we're stuck here." Zoe said.

Tommy smiled. "I don't mind at all." Tommy assured. "Besides, it was fun learning to cook. I even got to chop my own food. Back home, I was just a little kid who was always in the way. But since I came to this world, I've been able to do things I never even dreamed about. So let's make some hamburgers and make a new plan, okay?"

"That's the spirit." Sorcermon noted. "Really, that's all we can do for now."

"Well they seemed to like one of your recipes if they brought you here." PapaBurgermon said. "Let's try it!" Tommy nodded and quickly got to work, creating another hamburger for the Digimon to try. The chef Digimon sniffed the food for a moment before taking a bite, chewing thoroughly. "What an amazing flavor! It's so simple yet delicious! What is the secret? I must know!" He took the top bun off the food to stare at the sauce Tommy put on top. "Onions? Soaked in salad dressing? Young man, you have created a masterpiece better than my own! You've captured the bliss of the burger!" PapaBurgermon happily finished the rest of the sandwich, and even J.P. snuck one for himself.

"Good job, Tommy!" Zoe complimented.

"A preeminent patty indeed." PapaBurgermon mused. "But not quite yet finished. One more little touch and we will have achieved perfection! Placed on a sesame seed bun, this will be the ultimate burger! Magnificent!" The older Digimon looked absolutely giddy with delight and excitement, making the others smile. But the sound of the Chamelemon returning ruined the mood.

"Time's up!" the lizard Digimon snapped.

"We're almost done!" J.P. snapped back. "Hold your water."

"Hold this!" Chamelemon snapped, smacking his tongue against the wooden bars of the cage. "Apparently you don't care about the little bird brats. Take a look." The ground shook a little as a section of the wall lowered to reveal the outside, and the Chamelemon standing around a cage hanging from a tree branch. The Burgermon children rested inside, crying out in fear.

"My babies!" PapaBurgermon cried.

"Hand over the burgers or I'm making them dessert!" one of the Chamelemon threatened.

"All you're making is a big mistake." Tommy growled, the DigiDestined taking out their D-Tectors. Quickly, they summoned rings of fractal code and scanned them.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kazemon!" _

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Beetlemon!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kumamon!"_

Beetlemon punched through the cage door, allowing him, Kazemon, Sorcermon, and Kumamon to charge into battle. Beetlemon body slammed two of them and knocked them to the ground. Kazemon kicked one aside, but another wrapped his tongue around her and slammed the winged Digimon to the ground. Beetlemon lifted another Chamelemon and dropped him on his head. Sorcermon swept a few away and slammed them into a tree with a Drowning Aquarius, but once the water disappeared another Chamelemon smacked him with his tail and sent the Majin face first into the dirt. Kumamon conformed himself into an icicle and stabbed himself towards the Chamelemon, but found he hit only the grass when the lizard Digimon disappeared.

"Where'd he go?" Kumamon wondered. But when he turned around he barely had time to dodge a Chamelemon tongue.

"Uh oh." Beetlemon gulped. "Where'd they go? How'd they do that?" Everywhere they looked, the Chamelemon appeared and then disappeared just as fast, using their excellent cloaking abilities.

"Guys, have you forgotten about the kids?" Kazemon piped up. She gasped when a Chamelemon sliced through the rope holding the cage, and she dove down to catch the kids before they could hit the ground.

"Nice catch!" Beetlemon complimented, only for a Chamelemon tail to smack his chest and send him stumbling backwards.

"Where are they?" Sorcermon growled, looking all around for their opponents. But a Chamelemon tail suddenly swiped at his legs and he hit the ground.

"It's no use!" Beetlemon groaned. "How am I supposed to battle those boneheads and babysit at the same time? Little help here?"

The Burgermon children, now free of their cage, shrunk down. "Sorry."

"Wait! Maybe you guys can help!" Kumamon suggested. "The six of you can cover the whole area. All you have to do is follow the Chamelemon and let us know when they appear. You'll be our eyes and ears and we'll take it from there."

"Okay!" the children nodded, flying off in several directions. Instantly, they began shouting out the locations of each of the Chamelemon, keeping up with the lizards as they appeared and disappeared around the battlefield.

"I've had it with this scaly skunks!" Beetlemon growled. _"Lightning Blitz!" _He blasted a couple of the Chamelemon, knocking them aside and into a daze.

"_Hurricane Wind!" _Kazemon took out a few more to add to the pile.

"_Drowning Aquarius!" _Sorcermon summoned a wave of water with his staff and swept all the dazed Chamelemon into a neat pile.

"_Crystal Freeze!" _Kumamon dealt the final blow, and the fractal code of the Chamelemon appeared. "Like you kept telling us: time's up. Now to send you bullies back to where you belong!" Kumamon summoned his D-Tector, pressing the button on the side to activate the scanner's flame. "Fractal code, digitize!"

The fractal code seeped into Kumamon's D-Tector, forcing the Chamelemon to dedigivolve to a small pod of Armadillomon who scampered off in fear. The Burgermon children flew into their father's warm embrace, very much happy to see each other again.

"What about the big Digimon?" Kazemon reminded everyone.

"Oh my! I almost forgot! I still have to feed him! I have to finish that hamburger!" PapaBurgermon cried, hurrying back to the kitchen.

"What kind of Digimon is so fascinated with hamburgers that he'd kidnap PapaBurgermon?" Sorcermon wondered. The sound of heavy and hurried footsteps resonated through the air.

"You'd better hurry!" Beetlemon warned PapaBurgermon. "I think the big guy's awake!"

"I'm almost finished!" PapaBurgermon said.

"I hate it when I'm right!" Beetlemon groaned as they turned to face the bigger Digimon.

"Where's my burger?! I'm wasting away here!" the big Digimon paused. "Hey wait, haven't I seen yous guys somewheres before?"

Kazemon, Kumamon, Sorcermon, and Beetlemon stared in shock at Petaldramon standing before them. "The giant Digimon…" Kumamon gulped.

"Was Petaldramon?" Kazemon finished.

"Of course." Sorcermon droned.

"What are yous doing here?" Petaldramon growled. He moved towards them, but Sorcermon launched a Crystal Barrage attack while the Legendary Warriors quickly performed a Slide Evolution to their Beast forms. Petaldramon stomped his feet and swung his tongue and tail around, only for his opponents to easily dodge him.

"Let's clean up the yard!" Zephyrmon taunted. _"Hurricane Gale!" _Petaldramon braced himself, snapping his jaws at Zephyrmon only for the flying Digimon to quickly dart away.

"_Leaf Cyclone!" _Petaldramon launched the attack and sent MetalKabuterimon tumbling.

"_Frozen Arrowheads!" _Korikakumon's braids wrapped around Petaldramon's neck, and he and MetalKabuterimon began pulling on the larger Digimon.

"What the matter with you?" Petaldramon growled in irritation. "My burgers are getting cold! Don't you even care?"

"No!" the boys retorted.

"Oh, I didn't think so." Petaldramon sighed.

Suddenly, the Burgermon children came flying in, carrying a large hamburger. "Stop fighting!" They cried. "We brought your hamburger!" They tossed the food into Petaldramon's open mouth, forcing him to chew and swallow the food. Korikakumon released Petaldramon and stepped back, the DigiDestined watching as PapaBurgermon threw Petaldramon another sandwich.

Petaldramon smiled broadly. "You've done it! I want more! I want all of them!"

"They're in the kitchen!" No sooner did the Burgermon children say that did they all have to scatter to avoid Petaldramon charging into the kitchen to devour the food.

"Time to go!" Zephyrmon urged, picking up PapaBurgermon and flying off. Korikakumon lifted Sorcermon and placed the Majin on his shoulders before following Zephyrmon. MetalKabuterimon joined as well, but not before demolishing Petaldramon's mansion right on top of the sleeping Petaldramon, who decided to take a nap after eating so much.

* * *

"Thank you!" MamaBurgermon cried happily. "You saved them!" She almost fainted again had her children not caught her and helped her into a chair.

"I don't know how to thank you for all you've done for me and my family." PapaBurgermon said gratefully. "As much as I love a good burger, I never thought my life would be saved by one. In honor of you, I'm naming our new creation the Little Tommy." Tommy blushed fiercely, humbled by the announcement.

"Hey, where are the guys?" Zoe asked, realizing they were two DigiDestined short.

"Kouji and Takuya?" Sorcermon blinked in realization. "Oh, they were having some sort of competition when we left." Tentatively, they all gathered around the doors to the kitchen and stared as Kouji and Takuya argued over which of them created the better hamburger. Based on Neemon's and Bokomon's expressions, it was neither of them.

Sorcermon sighed, but an amused smile crept up on his face. Tommy looked to him. "You okay, Sorcermon?"

"I'm fine." Sorcermon nodded. "Just comparing my life now to what it used to be at the castle."

"Oh." Tommy said. Then he smiled warmly. "Well don't worry. Once we save the Digital World, we're gonna make sure you get home safe and sound."

Sorcermon stared at Tommy. "What? What about you? Won't you be going home after the fighting is done?"

"Yeah, but we're going to make sure you get home first." Tommy assured with a larger smile. "You've already done so much for us. It's the least we could do."

Sorcermon blinked, but smiled. "I am always amazed by your kindness, Tommy."

"Why's that?" Tommy asked.

"Because there are very few Digimon in the world as kind as you and your friends." Sorcermon answered. "You're all very lucky."

Tommy laughed again, his warm smile making Sorcermon smile as well.


	8. Episode 20

**A/N: To reviewer Dusk Muse 711, thank you for the review! Never had one of my stories called an "amazing holy grail." LOL**

**Hope you and everyone else reading this enjoys this next chapter! Warning: major angst and gruesomeness in the beginning.**

* * *

**Episode 20**

Sorcermon opened his eyes, expecting the ceiling of the train car above him. But he blinked in surprise to find the chandelier that hung in his old room back at Seraphimon's castle. Pushing himself upright, Sorcermon found he rested in his bed, indeed back in his old room. Confused, the ice Majin rose from the bed and began walking down the hallway. Everything looked exactly how he left it, only confusing him more.

"I'm back home?" Sorcermon murmured. His eyes widened in realization. "Seraphimon!" He picked up speed, darting down the hallways until he reached the throne room where Seraphimon was once imprisoned. But when Sorcermon pushed open the doors, he blinked in surprise to discover a familiar Angel Digimon standing in the middle of the room. Tentatively, Sorcermon stepped forward until he stood only several feet away from the much-taller-than-him Digimon. "Lord Seraphimon?"

Seraphimon turned to face Sorcermon, and the ice Majin smiled warmly. _He's alive. He's really alive._

Suddenly, a blast of energy collided with Seraphimon's back, and he shouted in pain as he suddenly turned to fractal code. Sorcermon gasped in horror, staring as his master was once again absorbed into Mercurymon who stood behind him. The Warrior of Steel chuckled darkly as he advanced towards Sorcermon, forcing the Majin to back up in fear. His hand trembled as he raised his wand, wondering if he could still attack without Mercurymon reflecting it again.

Then, Sorcermon blinked and he found his environment change drastically. Instead of Seraphimon's castle, he stood in the middle of a dark forest. "Now where am I?" he murmured. He jumped at the sounds of a fight and turned to see Kouji and Takuya engaged in a furious verbal/physical battle. Though the boys remained in their human forms, it didn't make the confrontation any less violent. Sorcermon stared in shock, cringing a little at the hurtful and hate-filled words the boys screamed at each other.

"Stop it!" Sorcermon ordered, running towards the boys as they continued to throw fists. "Takuya! Kouji! What has gotten into you?" But the quarrelling boys didn't seem to hear, so focused on their fight. Sorcermon grabbed Kouji's arm and tried to pull him away. "I said stop it!" But Kouji suddenly elbowed Sorcermon's jaw, sending him stumbling backwards. He would've regained his balance all right had his heel not hit something and caused him to fall to the ground. Sorcermon looked to see what he could've tripped on, and his blood went cold. "J.P.?"

The boy laid face-down on the forest floor, a deep stab wound in his back and not moving in the slightest. Now shaking in fear, Sorcermon forced himself to look around to discover more bodies lay strewn about the area. "Neemon? Zoe?" The blonde seemed to be cradling Neemon, almost to protect him, but both of them were covered in scorch marks and lay as still as J.P. Sorcermon forced himself to stand, staring at the fallen children and Digimon. _No…no it can't be…_ He jumped again when his foot hit something else, and when he looked down his staff dropped from his hand.

Tommy's lifeless eyes stared up at him, a gaping hole in his chest where his heart should've been.

"Tommy!" Sorcermon knelt beside the boy, cradling the young human in his arms. "No, Tommy please wake up! Don't be dead, please!" But no matter how much he shook Tommy, the young brunette remained dead and unmoving. Sorcermon trembled fiercely, hugging the boy to his chest and fighting tears. "Why? Why is this happening? How did this happen?" Sorcermon stared at the ground, but another white shape caught his eye and he looked up. "Bokomon?" The white Digimon laid just as still as the others, face down on the ground, but Sorcermon gasped. "The egg!" He gently set Tommy down and hurried to Bokomon's side, pulling the Digimon to his back. But immediately after, he wished he hadn't.

Seraphimon's egg was crushed to pieces.

Sorcermon didn't bother holding it in anymore. He let out an anguished scream, tears running down his cheeks and disappearing into his cowl. He lifted up a piece of the egg, clutching it tightly. It only crushed further in his grip, much like his heart. "Why? Why did this happen? What did I do wrong?"

As if things didn't seem bad already, a dark laughter echoed through the air. Sorcermon didn't want to look up again, but his fear and slight curiosity encouraged his gaze to move towards the laugh's source, causing him to lock eyes with a figure that stood before him. The figure wore black, skeletal-like armor, with eyeballs on his shoes, knees, shoulder pads, and in the middle of his chest. A wavy, blood red sword sprouted from one of his hands, both encased in what looked like the skulls of some Digimon. The only human-like features was the figure's skin (barely visible through the helmet and mask), blood red eyes, and blonde hair.

Sorcermon jumped back, staring in horror at the terrifying creature. "Who are you? _What _are you?"

The creature didn't answer, but he suddenly raised his sword and stabbed it towards Sorcermon.

The ice Majin shouted as he fell…..and then grunted in pain when he hit the floor of the train.

Bolting upright, Sorcermon's wild eyes scanned his surroundings to discover he was in the car of the Trailmon, not in the dark forest. The creature was nowhere in sight. The DigiDestined, Bokomon, and Neemon lay on the benches around the car, asleep and still very much alive. Sorcermon struggled to control his breathing, seeing how he was reduced to hyperventilating. He shakily rose from the floor of the car, only to stumble and fall to sit down on the bench he used to sleep on. Closing his eyes did nothing to help, as it only made the images of the dead DigiDestined return.

"It was just a dream." He whispered, his breathing slowly returning to normal and his heartbeat steadying. "It was just a dream. It was just…" _Just a horrible nightmare._

Now relaxed, Sorcermon stood and silently made his way over to Bokomon, listening to the white Digimon snore. The Majin placed a hand on Seraphimon's egg, softly sighing in relief to feel the egg radiating with life and even kick a bit, as though sensing the Majin's presence. Sorcermon moved away and knelt beside the bench Tommy slept on, staring at the boy and listening to him breathe.

_He's alive. _Sorcermon assured himself. _He's still alive and he's going to stay that way. _He jumped a little when Tommy stirred, but the boy remained asleep. Tentatively, Sorcermon placed a hand on Tommy's head and the boy's face became peaceful once more. Sorcermon smiled softly, ruffling the boy's hair a bit before taking his hand away. Tommy shifted a little, the blanket falling off him. His D-Tector soon followed, tumbling to the floor. Sorcermon stared at the D-Tector for a moment before picking it up, sneaking over to the door and slipping to the outside. He inspected the D-Tector for a moment, pressing a few buttons and knocking on it.

"Hello?" Sorcermon whispered to the D-Tector. "Lady Ophanimon? Are you there?" No response came. "Lady Ophanimon? I need your help. I just had a terrible nightmare, and a small part of me is wondering if it was actually a vision of what's to come. I've never been to the Rose Morning Star; I don't know what to expect. I made it my job to protect the DigiDestined, but I'm afraid. What if I fail? I can't lose any of them like I did you or Seraphimon….or Cherubimon…" Sorcermon stared at the D-Tector, desperately wishing Ophanimon would answer. "Please, Ophanimon, I'm begging you. Tell me what to do. How do I help the DigiDestined?" But Sorcermon waited for several minutes and the D-Tector remained unresponsive. The ice Majin sighed, wondering if Ophanimon could even hear him. He slipped back into the car with the DigiDestined, tucking the D-Tector back into Tommy's pocket and draping the blanket back over the boy.

Tommy sighed, making Sorcermon pause. "Sorcermon…" Tommy murmured in his sleep. "Don't stop the snow….I wanna build a snowman…."

Sorcermon felt his face burn, remembering earlier how a slight mishap with a spell caused a snowstorm in the Trailmon car. The ice Majin chuckled softly, tucking the blanket around Tommy. But his face fell when he thought back to his dream, and the sight of the young boy's lifeless body. Out of all the DigiDestined, Sorcermon couldn't deny that he connected with Tommy the best. Tommy made Sorcermon happier than he had felt in years, and to see him in trouble made Sorcermon want to tear apart whatever threatened the boy. He'd do anything to keep him and the DigiDestined safe.

Anything.

Sorcermon sighed, putting a hand on Tommy's head. "I'm sorry, Tommy." He whispered, not wanting to wake him. "But I don't know if I'll be able to keep my promise."

* * *

"But why is Cherubimon coming here?" Ranamon demanded as she, Arbormon, and Mercurymon gathered in the bowels of their lair. "One of you two must've messed up."

"What're you looking at me for?" Arbormon shrugged. "I didn't do nothing, right?"

"He's coming for the fractal code, you nits." Mercurymon snapped. The three of them stood before a large, round table-like object with a torch on either side. Before their eyes, a wave of light erupted from the stone, and Cherubimon's shadow appeared. Arbormon, Mercurymon, and Ranamon each went down on one knee, bowing their heads in respect. "Lord Cherubimon." Mercurymon greeted.

"Power is everything." Cherubimon said. "And the only thing. Greetings my most faithful followers. It appears someone is missing."

"Indeed." Mercurymon confirmed. "Duskmon is absent."

"He's flakier than pie crust." Ranamon scoffed.

"Don't worry." Arbormon assured. "He'll get his, right."

"And, alas, Grumblemon has fallen in battle." Mercurymon reported.

"So he has." Cherubimon said, not seeming surprised. "It was the humans who sealed his fate, was it not?"

Mercurymon tried his best to hide his surprise. _He knows….._

"But no matter." Cherubimon said, drawing Mercurymon from his thoughts. "With you, my three Legendary Warriors, this entire world will submit to my power."

"My lord and master, I humbly give you all the fractal code we have gathered thus far." Mercurymon held out one of his mirrors, and a long stream of fractal code flowed to Cherubimon's shadowy form.

"Well, it's gratifying to see how much data you have compiled." Cherubimon noted, sounding pleased. "Well done, my minions."

Mercurymon bowed again, as did his companions. "We live to serve you, mighty one."

"How disappointing that you chose not to present me with the most vital data you have: Seraphimon's fractal code." Cherubimon said.

Mercurymon visibly jumped now, staring fearfully at Cherubimon's dark smirk. Ranamon and Arbormon stared at Mercurymon, wondering why on earth the Warrior of Steel would take such a foolish risk. Mercurymon fought not to tremble. "I….I can explain!"

Cherubimon only chuckled sinisterly. "I see. Consider that code a gift I may demand to have returned whenever I wish it." His warriors bowed in respect and a little fear, Ranamon and Arbormon silently cursing their comrade for his idiocy. Cherubimon didn't seem so pleased now as he continued to speak. "Beware: the Earth children have found their Beast Spirits and their strength is growing."

"With all due respect, those little rug rats can't hold a candle to us!" Ranamon protested. "We are the only _true_ Legendary Warriors."

"Then why have you been unable to eliminate them?" Cherubimon demanded.

Ranamon looked down. "I…..um…" She had meant to sound more confident than cocky, but realized she didn't exactly have a good follow-up to her statement.

Arbormon suddenly stood. "Grumblemon may not have been able to handle the job, but _I _will. I'll make those human kids the weeds and I'm the weed whacker!"

"Excellent." Cherubimon nodded. "But don't fail me. And there is one more thing you must do or face severe consequences." His warriors perked up, wondering what he could be talking about. "I understand that Sorcermon escaped Seraphimon's castle and is traveling with the human children."

"Yeah, what about it?" Arbormon asked.

"Listen closely: you are to capture Sorcermon alive and deliver him to me unharmed." Cherubimon ordered.

This time, none of the three Warriors could hide their surprise. "I apologize for asking, but why?" Ranamon asked. "What's he to you?"

"That is none of your concern." Cherubimon assured. "Do what you will to those children, but bring the Majin to me." With that, Cherubimon and the light disappeared, leaving the three warriors confused and, in Mercurymon's case, very much shaken and frustrated.

* * *

Takuya leaned out the window, staring ahead at the path the Trailmon took. "Wow, check it out! The Rose Morning Star's gotta be close now!" Everyone else leaned out a window, following Takuya's gaze.

"_Fantastico!" _Zoe cooed. But then she frowned. "But it's midday. Are the clouds supposed to be that dark?"

"Hey Bokomon." Tommy said, looking to said Digimon. "What does the book have to say about this area?"

Bokomon checked his book. "Let's see. I haven't found anything that—" He suddenly let out a terrified scream, followed by the Trailmon screeching to a halt and sending all his passengers to the floor.

"All right, who was the nimrod who slammed on the brakes?" J.P. demanded.

"That'd be me, Blue Boy." The Trailmon announced. "End of the line."

Everyone peered out to see the Trailmon stopped in the middle of a land bridge connecting two stretches of shoreline across the ocean. "That can't be right." Zoe protested. "We're in the middle of nowhere."

"It looks like the tracks don't stop for miles." Kouji added.

"How observant of you." the Trailmon droned sarcastically. "Look, if I say it's the end of the line, it's the end of the line. Go on, get out. Get lost."

"Kouji, how did you ever race with this guy?" J.P. complained.

"You can't do this!" Zoe protested. "We have Digi-Rail Passes!"

"Yeah, yeah, write it down, you'll sell millions." The Trailmon suddenly opened up the wall and ceiling of the passenger car. "Look, you wanna go? Then go. I ain't stoppin' ya." He then proceeded to dump his passengers out and onto the stone the tracks rested on, leaving them there in a heap. "I want to wish ya the best of luck! You're gonna need it!" With that, he sped off backwards and away from them.

"Well he was cheery." Sorcermon grumbled.

"I would have to admit, I've been dumped before." J.P. groaned. "But never quite like that!"

"So everyone in one piece?" Takuya asked as they all rose to their feet.

"Yeah." Tommy groaned.

"Aren't there any normal Trailmon?" Zoe complained.

"I think I popped a waistband." Neemon whined.

Takuya looked around to see everyone accounted for except….. "Bokomon?"

Bokomon's face took a turn for the grim. "Welcome to the Dark Gate." His tone made everyone turn and stare nervously at him. "That temple-like structure behind you is the Dark Gate. Through it lies the Continent of Darkness." Everyone turned around to see the Trailmon tracks disappeared into the temple-like structure Bokomon described, and if the area around the gate didn't look scary the inky blackness of the gate's entrance made them all a little wary.

"Why do I get a feeling that's not a good thing?" J.P. gulped.

"Is it as bad as it sounds?" Zoe asked.

"I wish I could tell you, but to be honest I have no idea what awaits us there." Bokomon said. "It's an eerie land shrouded in utter darkness. But the dangers it holds are as legendary as its mysteries."

"There's gotta be _something _written in the book about it." J.P. said hopefully.

"Well let's take a look, shall we? Continent of Darkness, Chapter Twelve." Bokomon pulled out his book and opened it to the right section, but when he showed them all the pages they saw only blackness across the two sheets of paper.

"Whoa, it's pitch black." Takuya breathed.

"How come?" Tommy asked.

Bokomon tucked the book away. "It appears that there's really no firsthand information on this place. Many a brave Digimon have ventured within, but it seems none of them have ever returned to tell of its secrets." Everyone exchanged nervous looks, wondering what could possibly be so dangerous and if it was any deadlier than what they previously encountered in their adventures. "Only the foolhardy would dare enter the Continent of Darkness. We'll have to find another route to the Rose Morning Star."

"But the shortest route is straight ahead." Takuya protested. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

Sorcermon stared at the Continent of Darkness. _That forest….it looks just like the forest from my dream. If we go in there, will they all be killed? _"What if Bokomon has a point?" Sorcermon piped up. "We can't think about just the shortest way to get there, but also the safest way."

"Thank you." Bokomon paused. "Wait a minute, what do you mean 'what if'?!"

"I think we should take a vote." J.P. suggested, everyone still staring at the Dark Gate.

"Agreed!" Bokomon cried, whimpering a little.

"You know, when all of us work as a team, we've overcome some pretty tough stuff." Takuya noted. "So what's the point in backing off here and giving up?"

"Yeah, if something major happens we'll just Spirit Evolve." J.P. added, sounding less nervous now.

"There isn't any trouble that we can't handle." Tommy assured.

"Exactly!" Zoe agreed. "We're the five Legendary Warriors who stopped Grumblemon and that guy was no pushover."

"You guys know I'm in." Kouji said.

"Sorcermon, will you come with us?" Tommy asked, staring at the ice Majin.

"I'm not thrilled, but I will go wherever you go." Sorcermon agreed.

"Well, we took a vote!" Takuya said, spurring them all forward. "Motion carried! Move out!" They all began walking towards the gate, leaving a frantic and worried Bokomon in the dust.

"But what about me and Seraphimon's egg?" Bokomon whimpered. "Neemon!"

"Don't forget to write!" the yellow Digimon laughed as he hurried to catch up with the others.

Bokomon seemed conflicted at first, but soon joined them while crying out, "I know I'm going to regret this!"

_I just hope I don't regret this. _Sorcermon thought. His grip tightened around his staff. _No. I can't let that dream freak me out. It was only a dream, nothing more._

* * *

Once they made it past the Dark Gate, the group continued to follow the Trailmon tracks through the forest, trying to stay away from the trees but also keeping an eye and ear out for incoming Trailmon. But the constant and strange sounds echoing around them sent shivers up spines and caused goose bumps to rise. Tommy stepped a little closer to Sorcermon, who moved a little ahead of the group to keep an eye out for trouble. His grip on his wand tightened so much his knuckles turned white, but he tried to remain calm as they walked. Soon, their walking led them deeper into the forest, the trees seeming to get closer and closer to them.

"I'm wondering…do you think Digimon could somehow end up being ghosts?" Tommy asked.

"What kind of talk is that?" Zoe scoffed, fear lacing her voice. "Next you'll start telling ghost stories."

"It was a dark and stormy night, luckily there was this terrific guy there waiting to come to your rescue." J.P. teased.

Zoe rolled her eyes. "Give me a break." Suddenly, they all froze as shadows shifted and a strange sound echoed through the air. Tommy suddenly latched onto Sorcermon while Zoe grabbed Kouji. Bokomon grabbed J.P.'s foot, causing him to trip and fall, and Neemon clung to Takuya.

"Guys, it's just the wind." Takuya said soothingly, easing Neemon back to the ground.

"Tommy, I can't breathe….." Sorcermon gasped a little as Tommy released his death grip on the Majin's stomach.

Zoe suddenly caught sight of Kouji's face and the redness in his cheeks. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." Kouji choked out.

"Stop acting like my Aunt Mabel's dog!" J.P. snapped at Bokomon.

"Aunt Mabel's dog would've turned tail and gone by now!" Bokomon whimpered.

"We're not going back." Takuya said firmly. "We've all be walking for hours."

"Let's walk back a few hours!" Bokomon pleaded. "And then we can all get ourselves out of this poor excuse for a dark closet once and for all!"

Everyone exchanged looks. Nobody wanted to turn back just yet, seeing how the Rose Morning Star wasn't too far away now, but none of them could deny that the forest gave them all the creeps. Who knows what kinds of danger would appear when they least expected it?

"H-hey guys." Tommy piped up. "Something's glowing." Following his point, they could all see strange green lights just down the tracks a ways.

"Fireflies?" J.P. guessed.

"Maybe there's a town up ahead." Kouji said.

"Come on. Let's check it out." Takuya encouraged, leading them all down towards the lights. But as they neared the green glow, they realized that they only saw more trees and not buildings, nor did the lights move at all. Soon, it became clear why: the light shined from some glowing moss on the ground.

"That moss is actually glowing." Kouji breathed. "Wonder if it's safe to touch."

"Let's see." J.P. said, scooping up some of the glowing moss. "Sure is! We can use it to light our way!" Everyone took a couple handfuls and mashed them together so they each held a football-sized mound of moss, using them like lanterns as they continued on. They began diverting away from the train tracks, going in the direction of the Rose Morning Star.

"Wow, this stuff works great!" Tommy said, happy to have a little more light. The others were thankful for the extra lighting, but it still cast more shadows and couldn't show anything more than two feet ahead of them.

"Look, it's a cave!" J.P. pointed out as the group approached said cave.

"It's almost too perfect. Like it was dug out by someone." Zoe noted, staring at the smooth walls of the cave.

"Or dug out by some_thing_." Tommy corrected.

"That's very reassuring, Tommy." Sorcermon said, sarcasm laced in his tone.

Takuya cupped a hand close to his mouth. "Hey! Anybody in there?" No response came, save for the echoes.

"I guess not." Zoe sighed.

Bokomon's terrified scream made them all jump and whip around to the poor Digimon, watching him cower pitifully. "Bokomon, what is it?" Takuya asked hurriedly.

"I feel like this place is a ghost cavern!" Bokomon cried. "Filled with evil, ectoplasmic Digi-spirits! I knew I should've stayed behind, but did I listen to myself? No!"

"Come now, Bokomon." Sorcermon scoffed. "It's not _that _scary." Suddenly, a shadow flashed in the trees, and everyone stared intently into the forestry. Sure enough, several other shadows began darting around until they disappeared into the foliage. "Well, I've been wrong before…" Sorcermon murmured.

"Did you guys see that?" Tommy breathed.

"Who's there?" Takuya shouted. "Show yourself!"

"Who's there? Show yourself!" A voice called from the trees.

"What are ya, a parrot?" J.P. snapped.

"What are ya, a parrot?" the voice mimicked back.

"What are ya, a parrot?" another echoed.

"What are ya, a parrot?" a third chimed in.

"Knock it off!" Tommy ordered.

"Knock it off!"

"Knock it off!"

"Knock it off!"

Bokomon cried out again. "They'll mock us until we all go insane! We're doomed! Doomed, I tell you!"

"Bokomon, just shut up!" Sorcermon finally snapped.

"Shut up!" the voice in the foliage echoed.

"Shut up!"

"Shut up!"

"That goes for you too!" Sorcermon shouted at the foliage, only for the voices to mimic him. He huffed, blowing his bangs from his eyes only for them to fall back again. "This is getting us nowhere."

Zoe thought for a moment. "Hey, I know. Beetles battle better in butter!"

"Beetles battle better in butter!" the voices called at once.

"Just as I thought." Zoe smirked victoriously.

"That's great." Takuya said. "You wanna clue us in?"

"They're repeating what we say." Zoe explained. "So let's confuse them with tongue-twisters." The others exchanged looks, but nobody else had any other ideas.

"Six sick bricks might bring back a snack!" Takuya shouted.

"Six sick bricks might bring back a snack!" the voices echoed.

"Peter Piper poked and picked a pack of pickled peppers!" Tommy tried.

"Peter Piper poked and picked a pack of pickled peppers!" the voices hardly missed a beat.

"Digi-dera-dodo don't dance!" Sorcermon came next.

"Digi-dera-dodo don't dance!" the voices parroted.

"Toy boat toy boat toy boat toy—boy—blah!" J.P. tripped up over his own tongue twister.

"Toy boat toy boat toy boat toy—boy—blah!" surprisingly enough, the voices mimicked everything including the slip-up.

"It's no use." Tommy sighed. "We just can't trip them up."

"Oh yeah?" Kouji pulled his piece of moss in half and threw one of the chunks into the trees, illuminating them enough to see their "parrots." Actually, they turned out to be bat-like Digimon with small scythes are the ends of their hands, feet, and wings, with thick fur around their necks and large ears.

Bokomon finally looked up. "My goodness! Those creatures are Pipismon. They're mutant Digimon whose power is greatest in the dark. They can reflect sound back exactly as it's heard."

"Well that explains a lot." Sorcermon said as the four Pipismon flew over their heads and into the cave. The group followed them in, watching the Pipismon hook their feet into crevices in the ceiling and hang upside-down while staring and smiling at them.

"For cave-dwelling Digimon, they're really rather gentle." Bokomon noted. "Even if they _are _a bit scary-looking."

"Well, just between us, I think they're kinda cute." Zoe said with a smile.

"I think they're kinda cute!" one of the Pipismon called.

"I think they're kinda cute!" another echoed.

"Don't encourage them, Zoe." Sorcermon chuckled.

"Encourage them, Zoe!" the Pipismon called, causing laughter from the DigiDestined.

"I'm amazed to find peaceful Digimon in such a dark place." Bokomon mused.

"So I guess it turns out you're glad you came." Takuya guessed, smiling at Bokomon. "You just learned something. If you hadn't come, you'd never have known about this. It's good that you took a risk."

"If you're not sure about something, there's really only one way to find out." Kouji added. "That's to take a risk and go experience it for yourself."

Bokomon blinked in surprise. "Well bless my buttons. You're right."

"Why don't you write it down in the book?" Takuya suggested. "You'll be the first Digimon to chronicle the Continent of Darkness! You'll be famous."

Bokomon's jaw dropped. "Well….I…really?"

"Sure!" Zoe encouraged. "And since you're writing about Digimon, maybe you could write about us. _The True Adventures of the Legendary Warriors. _You can say how I controlled my Beast Spirit."

"I'd like to be mentioned!" Tommy requested. "You can write about my cool hat!"

"And mention how fearless I am!" J.P. piped up.

"All right then!" Bokomon said happily. "I'll do it! Today I'll begin the greatest novel of all time! The Legendary Warriors and the Continent of Darkness!"

"So will you write about me as well?" Neemon asked.

"I think not." Bokomon frowned, going back to his normal demeanor as he snapped Neemon's waistband.

"And don't forget Sorcermon!" Tommy said hurriedly. "He's gotta be in there too!"

"No, I really don't." Sorcermon said, looking down.

"Hey, if we all have to be in that book then so do you." Kouji smirked, everyone else laughing good-heartedly. Suddenly the Continent of Darkness didn't seem so bad anymore, the laughter seeming to brighten up the spooky forest.

"Well, a great novelist needs great material." Bokomon said. "So let's continue our journey into the unknown!"

"Sounds great!" Takuya agreed.

"Let's go!" everyone else nodded.

But their supposed start was cut short when a large tree fell and sent up a cloud of dust, some of the Pipismon flying off in surprise.

"Yous and your journey are about to be cut short, small fry!"

"Yeah? Says who?" Takuya demanded.

"Take a guess!" a figure jumped from the shadows, revealing a familiar face.

"Not Arbormon again!" Bokomon whimpered.

"Good guess!" Arbormon chuckled darkly. _"Power Pummel!" _He jumped into the air and let loose his cable-attached appendages, striking four Pipismon and absorbing their fractal code. The Digi-Eggs of the Pipismon flew off as Arbormon landed on the ground again, much to the group's shock. "That was an appetizer! You kids are the main course! _Arbormon Slide Evolution! Petaldramon!"_

The group scattered as Petaldramon lunged for them. The large Beast Digimon then proceeded to crash his way through the trees, searching for the DigiDestined while smashing anything that got in his way.

"_Crystal Barrage!"_

Petaldramon growled in pain as the ice shards made contact with his face, and he whipped around with a growl to see Sorcermon standing ready to fight. "Why you little runt!" Petaldramon growled, stabbing his tail into the dirt. _"Thorn Jab!"_

Sorcermon managed to jump away just as the vines shot from the ground, but he didn't see Petaldramon's tail coming again until it wrapped around his stomach and lifted him into the air. "Let me go you petal-faced pea-brain!" the ice Majin snapped, struggling in Petaldramon's grip.

"Look, buddy, I don't know why Cherubimon wants yous around, but I better not get any trouble from ya!" Petaldramon snarled.

Sorcermon paused briefly. "What?"

"You just stay there while I smash those kids into the dirt!" Petaldramon turned to continue searching/smashing.

"I don't think so! _Ice Illusion!" _Sorcermon thrust his wand skyward, and a snowstorm appeared out of nowhere to surround Petaldramon. The second he felt the Beast Digimon's grip loosen, Sorcermon wiggled free and darted into the trees. But Petaldramon was close behind, growling and snapping his jaws.

Nearby, the DigiDestined finally managed to regroup and noticed Sorcermon's attacks. "Let's get in there and help him!" Tommy urged.

"Right!" Takuya nodded. "Let's do it!"

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution!"_

"_BurningGreymon!"_

"_KendoGarurumon!"_

"_MetalKabuterimon!"_

"_Zephyrmon!"_

"_Korikakumon!"_

Sorcermon darted out from the trees to join the DigiDestined, turning to face Petaldramon as he burst from the brush.

"You know what I think?" MetalKabuterimon smirked. "It's petal-pulling time!"

Petaldramon launched his long tongue forward, only for his opponents to leap away just in time. But they stared as Petaldramon grabbed onto a tree and pulled it into his mouth, eating it all in one bite.

"Man, talk about getting fiber in your diet." BurningGreymon said. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Petaldramon grew to enormous size in a matter of seconds, roaring at the group.

"This might be harder than we thought." Sorcermon admitted.

MetalKabuterimon rolled up first. _"Bolo Thunder!" _He launched the attack, but even though it left a good-size gash the wound healed itself right back up again.

"My turn." Petaldramon sneered, charging for MetalKabuterimon.

"Oh boy!" MetalKabuterimon groaned, rolling backwards as fast as he could go.

"_Pyro Barrage!" _BurningGreymon attacked from behind, but the blasts did little more than grab Petaldramon's attention.

"_Plasma Pods!" _Zephyrmon shot down, but even the wound she left healed itself quickly. Then, Petaldramon shot his tongue forward and it wrapped around Zephyrmon's stomach, pulling her towards him. KendoGarurumon shot forward, slicing through Petaldramon's tongue to free Zephyrmon. Petaldramon snarled in pain, but simply swung his tail around and smacked Zephyrmon and KendoGarurumon out of the sky.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon launched the ice shards, but Petaldramon suddenly grabbed the Majin in his tail and threw him into a tree.

"_Frozen Arrowheads!" _Korikakumon wrapped the braids around Petaldramon's head, but this time the larger Beast Digimon pulled Korikakumon off his feet and threw him to the ground. Petaldramon roared, seeming to become more and more animal-like by the minute.

"_Thorn Jab!" _Petaldramon stabbed his tail into the ground, sending up vines that snared each of his opponents and carried them high into the air. _"Leaf Cyclone!" _He launched the whirlwind attack, straight towards his five captives. _Wait. _Petaldramon thought. _Weren't there—_

"Hang on, guys!" BurningGreymon called, swooping in from the skies. _"Wildfire Tsunami!" _The fiery blast met the whirlwind, dissipating it enough so that the winds merely pushed them all out of the sky and to the ground.

Petaldramon laughed as he stood over his fallen opponents. "Giving Beast Spirits to you puny humans is like giving pearls to pigs! So why don't you just do yourselves a favor and hand them and the Majin over!"

Despite being severely beaten, the warriors pushed themselves to their feet. "Never!" BurningGreymon shouted. "If you want these Spirits or our friend, then you're gonna have to come here and take 'em!"

Petaldramon didn't seem too disappointed, preparing another attack. But KendoGarurumon moved first. _"Lupine Laser!" _The blast nailed Petaldramon in the nose, causing him to wobble. Korikakumon ran in to grab Petaldramon's foot and, with MetalKabuterimon able to take out Petaldramon's tail, lift Petaldramon off the ground and send him falling backwards to the dirt.

Sorcermon closed his eyes and focused his magic, then snapped open his eyes and twirled his staff. _"Drowning Aquarius!" _A huge gush of water shot from his wand, bending to his will to loop around Petaldramon. The water solidified to ice, successfully pinning the large Beast Digimon to the ground.

"_Wildfire Tsunami!" _BurningGreymon sent as much fire as he could.

"_Hurricane Gale!" _Zephyrmon coupled the attack with her own, and the fiery tornado ripped through Petaldramon, melting the ice that held him down and forcing him to shrink back to his original size. His fractal code appeared around him.

"_KendoGarurumon Slide Evolution! Lobomon!"_

"Petaldramon, it's kindling time!" Lobomon summoned his D-Tector, activating the scanner fire. "Fractal code, digitize!" Absorbing the code and therefore the Beast Spirit of Wood, Lobomon gained the Spirit while Petaldramon dedigivolved back to Arbormon. The Warrior of Wood struggled to rise, only to find his opponents standing over him.

"Arbormon, now will you give up attacking us?" BurningGreymon demanded.

"And tell us what Cherubimon wants with me?" Sorcermon added.

Arbormon stared at them. Given his current state, he couldn't exactly fight back very well. He couldn't necessarily answer Sorcermon's question, and he also wasn't sure he wanted to fully surrender in case the Legendary Warriors just destroyed him anyway.

"Well…I….uh….." Arbormon mumbled.

"Yes. He will stop attacking."

Everyone turned at a new voice, and Arbormon turned around as a figure came in from the shadows. The figure dressed in black, skeletal armor, with eyes decorating the bone and his face covered by a helmet and mask. His long blonde hair spewed out of the helmet and his blood red eyes locked onto the group of warriors.

Sorcermon's blood turned to ice in his veins. _No…..it's him….the Digimon from my nightmare…_

"Duskmon!" Arbormon breathed, surprised that the normally aloof loner actually made an appearance.

"Who is that?" Zephyrmon asked in a soft voice.

"I guess a friend to Arbormon." Lobomon answered.

Arbormon stood and turned to Duskmon. "Well, here comes the cavalry! A friend in need's a friend indeed, right?"

"Wrong." Duskmon said, a sword unsheathing from one of the skull-like gloves on his hands. "With your Beast Spirit gone, there's really no use for you, now is there?"

"What are you talking—augh!" Arbormon shouted in pain as Duskmon sliced his sword, destroying him in a single blow and allowing Duskmon to take his fractal code and therefore Spirit. "Yesterday's ally is today's enemy!" Arbormon cried as he became a Digi-Egg and flew off.

Everyone stared at Duskmon in shock, unable to process the action for a moment. "He destroyed his own friend!" BurningGreymon gasped.

Sorcermon suddenly realized that Duskmon had his eyes trained on them now. _And I get the feeling…we're next._


	9. Episode 21

**Episode 21**

After watching the dark warrior destroy Arbormon and absorb his data, the DigiDestined and Sorcermon could only stare at him for a moment, completely stunned by the action.

"Who is this guy?" BurningGreymon murmured.

The dark armored Digimon before them chuckled. "I am Duskmon, Legendary Warrior of Darkness."

"Well, that explains the outfit." BurningGreymon noted, trying but failing to ease the tension in the air.

Duskmon stared at them for a moment, then began to raise his sword. "You have done well against my brethren." The warriors before him tensed up, preparing for the strike. "Let's see how strong you _really _are. Show me your power!" Duskmon sliced his sword through the air, sending a streak of red energy towards his opponents. The six Digimon jumped away just in time, but the blast left a deep ditch and plenty of damage.

"All he did was swing his sword." Korikakumon breathed.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Zephyrmon said nervously as they all turned to Duskmon.

"Come on, there's only _one _of him!" BurningGreymon encouraged, glaring at Duskmon as the dark Digimon laughed evilly. "If we defeated Grumblemon and Petaldramon, then Laughing Boy over there should be a piece of cake! Remember: we're Legendary Warriors!" He lunged for Duskmon.

"Wait!" Sorcermon shouted. "Don't!" His feet stayed rooted in the spot, watching in terror as BurningGreymon shot towards Duskmon. His nightmare seemed to replay over and over again in his head, as though to warn him about the dangers of Duskmon.

"_Bolo Thunder!" _MetalKabuterimon launched the energy spheres. The blast hit the ground at Duskmon's feet, giving BurningGreymon the cover he needed to strike Duskmon. But to his surprise, the Beast Warrior of Fire only hit air when Duskmon disappeared. He reappeared behind the winged Digimon, grabbing his arm and flipping him to the ground.

"Takuya!" the others cried, gathering around their fallen friend as he groaned in pain, trying to get the air back in his lungs.

"You are weaker than I thought." Duskmon sneered. "I should at least give you the chance to surrender."

"You can give it, but we won't take it!" MetalKabuterimon growled.

"You are proving to be very foolish creatures." Duskmon mused.

Lobomon's mind raced. "J.P.! Tommy! Switch to your Human Spirits!"

"Right!" the boys nodded, Slide Evolving to Beetlemon and Kumamon.

"Let's go!" Lobomon urged. "Sorcermon, stay with Takuya!"

"But you can't—" Sorcermon couldn't finish his sentence as the other four DigiDestined charged into battle. _I have to help them somehow. But what can I do against Duskmon if none of them can leave a mark?_

"_Lobo Kendo!" _Lobomon drew his sword and swung it down towards Duskmon's head, but Duskmon easily blocked the strike with his own blade. Lobomon struggled to bring the sword down lower, growling in effort.

"Each of your attacks seems to get weaker, not stronger." Duskmon mocked. "You must know you can't defeat me."

"Little help here, guys?" Lobomon requested. At once, Zephyrmon, Kumamon, and Beetlemon shot down with their attacks.

"_Plasma Pods!"_

"_Thunder Fist!"_

"_Frozen Tundra!"_

But even though they thought they made contact, when the dust cleared they found Duskmon disappeared. "Where'd he go?" Lobomon demanded.

"Above you!" Sorcermon shouted, spurring their gaze upwards to see Duskmon floating in the air.

"_Deadly Gaze!" _Red beams of energy shot from the eyes and skull gloves on Duskmon's armor, blasting the four DigiDestined aside. Duskmon landed hard on the ground, glaring at nothing in particular. "Your efforts against me are pitiful! Surely you have more power than that!"

_WHAM!_

Duskmon shouted in pain as something collided with the back of his skull, almost taking his helmet clean off. He gave a furious growl as Sorcermon leaped over his head, landing before him with his staff raised for another blow.

"Leave them alone!" Sorcermon lunged again, swinging his staff and nailing Duskmon's head again. But the dark Digimon hardly moved, clearly prepared for the strike this time. Sorcermon froze briefly, for a moment unable to register how Duskmon could just stand there and take the hit. That small pause was just enough for Duskmon to suddenly grabbed Sorcermon by the throat, hoisting the Majin into the air and above his head.

"Sorcermon!" the DigiDestined cried.

"You pathetic little fool." Duskmon growled, glaring at Sorcermon as the Majin gasped and struggled in his grip. "Why would you do something like that when you know—AH!"

Sorcermon gasped as Duskmon suddenly released him, and everyone's eyes widened at the sight of Duskmon's "hand" smoking as though it were burned. Sorcermon stared in shock, rubbing his throat. _What did I do? Why is he suddenly hurt?_

Duskmon's glare turned wild as he summoned his sword, stabbing it down towards Sorcermon. The Majin jumped back, hurriedly rising as Duskmon advanced towards him. "How did you do that? What kind of power was that?"

"Hey!"

Duskmon paused, the eyes on his shoulder pads looking behind him. He turned to see BurningGreymon shaking as he rose to his feet, glaring at Duskmon. "What…?"

"Don't take us too lightly, you big eyeball." BurningGreymon growled. "You want power? I'll show you power! _Wildfire Tsunami!" _He let forth the largest wave of fire he could, given his strength, the fiery whirlwind completely enveloping Duskmon. BurningGreymon smirked. "Now _that's _what I'm talking about!"

"Takuya, get out of there!" Lobomon ordered.

"Why?" BurningGreymon scoffed. "I just defeated him!"

"All of us combined weren't able to defeat him and you think you did it by yourself?" Lobomon demanded.

"Well….yeah…." BurningGreymon shrugged.

"Just come on!" Lobomon snapped, spurring everyone to sprint off into the forest.

"I mean, I hit him pretty good. Didn't I, guys?" BurningGreymon asked as they flew off. "Uh…..guys?"

The others ignored him for the most part. "You okay, Sorcermon?" Kumamon asked as they ran.

"I'll be fine." Sorcermon assured.

"What did you do that hurt him like that?" Zephyrmon asked.

Sorcermon didn't speak for a moment. "I have no idea."

* * *

Once the group felt they put enough distance between them and Duskmon, the DigiDestined dedigivolved and continued walking on, determined to reach the Rose Morning Star despite Duskmon's threat.

Or Takuya's constantly running mouth.

"You know, guys, the more I think about it the more I think I really did beat that guy." Takuya insisted, causing everyone else to groan. "I can't believe an attack that powerful wouldn't do _something _serious to him. You know?" But nobody answered, all of them walking ahead of him. Takuya frowned. "Fine."

"Do you guys hear something that sounds like someone talking?" J.P. said albeit mockingly.

"Not me." Kouji huffed. "But if I _did _hear that, I'd say it was getting pretty annoying."

_Oh great. _Sorcermon mentally groaned. _My nightmare really is coming true._

"Very funny, guys." Takuya frowned. "You can play your little game all you want. But I'm telling you: that guys is toast! There is just no way he could stand there and take that fire attack of mine!"

"Yeah right." Kouji scoffed. "Were you at some other fight? He took all our attacks and didn't even flinch."

"Oh, so you can hear me _now_, huh?" Takuya mocked.

"Perhaps he's just good at hiding his pain." Sorcermon suggested tentatively, hoping to ease the tension. "We might've left some damage and don't know it. But I highly doubt he's really gone."

"If he's so good at hiding his pain, why did he scream when he grabbed you?" J.P. asked.

Sorcermon looked down. "Well…" Truthfully, he didn't have an answer for that. Why _did _Duskmon seem to be in pain just by grabbing Sorcermon? He didn't even throw an attack.

"Well then riddle me this, smart guy." Takuya snapped, still talking to Kouji. "How can you be so sure about what happened after _you _made us all run away?"

"Do you _really _think he's alive?" Zoe asked Kouji.

"There's no doubt about it at all." Kouji said in a grave tone. "None of us did any serious damage to him."

"Sorcermon did." Tommy piped up.

"Only after Duskmon grabbed him." Kouji reminded.

"And we don't even know how it happened." Sorcermon added.

Tommy suddenly stopped, causing everyone else to follow suit. "So are we supposed to beat him?"

"I don't know." Kouji sighed. "We'll find someplace safe to come up with a plan."

Tommy looked down, dejected. "Then we'll never have a plan. There's no place safe in this world."

Takuya looked to Tommy before glaring at Kouji. "You know what, Kouji? This is all your fault! If you just hadn't been so eager to turn tail and run."

"Just what are you saying?" Kouji demanded.

"I'm saying that if we'd only stuck around and worked as a team, we might've beaten him!" Takuya said.

"And what do you know about working as a team?" Kouji growled.

Takuya seemed off-put by the retort. "What do you mean?"

"I mean you didn't look too much like a team player when you went charging in against Duskmon by yourself, did you?" Kouji snapped, and suddenly Takuya remembered how he did sort of attack Duskmon without making sure his friends were beside him. "You could've been hurt, Takuya! Or we all could've been!"

Takuya glared harder, not wanting to lose this argument. "So—"

"Well I'm famished!" Bokomon announced. "Who wants to eat?"

Takuya almost fell over from the abrupt suggestion. "Are you kidding me?! We're right in the middle of an argument!"

"Being angered easily is a sure sign that you're hungry." Bokomon said calmly. "Now let's have something to eat and discuss this like civilized people. If you can."

"Yeah, let's eat!" Neemon cheered.

"I'll second that motion!" Zoe raised her hand.

"Count me in!" Tommy agreed.

"Yeah, I'm wasting away to nothing." J.P. complained.

"And it'll keep Takuya's mouth occupied." Bokomon added in a low voice, noting how Kouji and Takuya still glared at each other.

"We should find shelter first." Sorcermon said, beginning to walk off and forcing everyone else to hurry after him.

"But how will we know if it's safe?" Tommy asked.

"Even the darkest cave in the Digital World will be safe as long as I'm with you." Sorcermon assured. "Now come on." His harsh tone surprised the rest of the group, knowing the Majin to be a normally calm Digimon.

"I think he's getting really stressed out." Zoe whispered to the others so Sorcermon wouldn't hear.

"Really?" J.P. said sarcastically. "I didn't notice."

"I'm serious, guys." Zoe said. "I think there's something really bothering him and Duskmon coming only made it worse. Let's try and keep calm for Sorcermon's sake if not for ours, okay?" The boys nodded, but Takuya and Kouji wouldn't look at each other for the rest of the walk.

* * *

Eventually, the group found an abandoned, partially destroyed building and then split off to do different jobs: Zoe and J.P. made a fire, Kouji went with Bokomon and Neemon to get water, and Sorcermon accompanied Takuya and Tommy to find food.

Tommy held open his hat so Takuya could toss down food from the tree he climbed. The young boy's mind wandered a bit. Sorcermon looked all around, scanning the forest for any sign of Duskmon or any other threat. He felt tense and jittery, unable to stand still for very long. Some Pipismon cried in the distance, and he nearly jumped out of his skin. _I have to stay calm. _The Majin reminded himself. _I have to make sure they get out of here all right so they can reach the Rose Morning Star._

"Do you really believe we have a chance?" Tommy asked suddenly. Takuya hung upside down on a tree branch to poke his head out of the foliage. "I mean, can we really beat Duskmon?"

"What kind of question is that?" Takuya smirked. "You know, you worry too much, buddy. Once we put my new plan into action, we'll take that guy out in one shot. He won't know what hit him!"

Sorcermon stared at the ground for a moment before looking up to the older boy. "Takuya, you _have _weighed the risks and dangers associated with your plan, correct?"

"You worry too much." Takuya said nonchalantly, curling back up to grab a few more fruits from the tree.

Sorcermon moved to stand directly beneath the tree and looked up towards Takuya. "Actually, I worry the exact right amount. Duskmon isn't like other enemies you've faced. The fact that he's a Legendary Warrior alone should make you cautious. I'm not even going to bring up the fact that we're in his element by fighting in the Continent of Darkness."

"Come on, Sorcermon." Takuya scoffed, jumping from the tree and landing beside the Majin. "What do you suggest we do about him then?"

"We fight him outside of his element." Sorcermon said. "He'll most likely follow us to finish what he started, so let's take the fight someplace where we'll be strongest."

"Sorcermon, it will be fine." Takuya said, emphasizing every word. "I have the perfect plan, and it even involves you! Besides, if you caused Duskmon pain before you can do it again, and this time we'll be right beside you the entire time."

Sorcermon didn't answer, silently following the boys back to camp. _What if they didn't have to? Maybe there's a way to stall Duskmon so they can escape. If we could just get out of this forest, perhaps my nightmare can be avoided._

* * *

"So that is your big plan?" Zoe, J.P., Neemon, and Bokomon said at once. Kouji said nothing, but gave a similar look that the others had. Takuya and Tommy nodded proudly while Sorcermon hardly moved, not really giving any reaction.

"How long did it take you to come up with 'attack all at once'? A second?" Zoe retorted.

"Yeah, we tried that already." J.P. reminded Takuya. "Remember?"

Takuya still held a proud and confident smile. "Now, now, now. I realize it may look like the same plan. But once I lay it out for you, you'll see plenty of differences." Tommy nodded in agreement. "All right, Tommy, show 'em the plan."

"One plan, coming up!" Tommy and Takuya moved to a large cement block nearby, and everyone except Kouji gathered around. Tommy took out a doll made of twigs and leaves and set it on the block. "Now, say this is Duskmon."

"Wow Tommy. Did you make that?" Zoe asked, impressed. Tommy nodded proudly.

"Man, it looks just like him!" J.P. complimented.

"I helped too, ya know." Takuya laughed, pulling out another doll that looked like Agunimon. "Now, back to the plan. I'll Spirit Evolve to Agunimon and stop him—"

"Do I get my own doll too?" Zoe asked excitedly.

"Yeah, I want one!" J.P. added.

In response, Takuya and Tommy held up several more of the twig and leaf dolls, one to represent the other four Beast Spirits and one that looked like Sorcermon. "I wouldn't leave you out!" Takuya assured. "Everyone's in the plan so everyone gets one. But let's get back to my idea."

"Apparently we don't exist, Neemon." Bokomon sighed at the lack of Neemon and Bokomon dolls.

"Okay, so once I've stopped him, everyone will Beast Spirit Evolve." Takuya instructed, placing the dolls in certain places around the Duskmon doll. "Sorcermon, you'll use your ice powers to freeze him in place. Then MetalKabuterimon and Korikakumon will move in. Zephyrmon and KendoGarurumon will sneak up on his flank. Then when I give the signal, we'll all attack!" He pushed the Duskmon doll down. "And that's that! So, any questions?"

"Won't Duskmon see the whole 'freezing into place' thing coming?" Sorcermon noted. "He surely watched our battle with Petaldramon."

"But if you do it fast enough, which I know you can, he won't be able to react in time." Takuya assured. "Especially if he's too busy fighting me."

"So when do we get going?" Tommy asked excitedly.

"I'm in shock." Zoe said. "That looks like it might really work."

"I don't know." J.P. said. "There's still a big problem."

"What do you mean?" Takuya scoffed. "Where is there a problem?"

Zoe cast Takuya a look. "Oh yeah. Just how do you plan on stopping Duskmon?"

"I mean, he knocked you all over the place last time." J.P. reminded him. "And that was your Beast Spirit."

Takuya rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well last time I wasn't on-guard. This time I'll know what to expect. And all I'm doing is distracting him; Sorcermon's the one who's going to keep him still." Takuya looked to said ice Majin. "It's up to you to get him in one place. Think you can do it?"

"I guess…but…" Sorcermon didn't know what to make of the plan. Surely it could work; there was always the possibility that it worked and they beat Duskmon. But say they didn't? Say the plan fails and they don't have a backup. Say the plan fails…and his nightmare fully comes true. What then?

"You can do it, Sorcermon." Tommy encouraged. "You'll do great!"

Sorcermon glanced towards Tommy's hopeful smile and sighed silently. "I won't let you down."

"Great!" Takuya nodded happily. "This time we'll take him down for sure!"

"He sure is confident." Neemon noted.

"Yes, and no one can figure out why." Bokomon droned.

"I don't like it." Kouji's announcement caught everyone's attention.

"Aw, what's the matter?" Takuya mocked. "Not enough running away for you? I can't believe him. When did he become such a chicken?"

"Duskmon's different than anyone we've ever fought before." Kouji reasoned. "Instead of fighting, we should—"

"Wait, you're not really thinking of running away, are you?" Takuya scoffed.

"Yes, I am!" Kouji said firmly.

"You're pathetic!" Takuya snapped. "What makes you think we'd be able to get away even if we wanted to?"

"Come on, don't fight." Tommy requested timidly, watching with nervousness as Kouji suddenly rose from his spot and began marching off.

"Takuya. Let's talk." It was more of an order than a request as the raven-haired boy walked towards a nearby hallway.

"Yeah. Let's." Takuya growled, following Kouji.

"Guys, don't do anything stupid!" Zoe requested.

"Don't worry." Kouji assured. "We're just gonna talk."

"Yeah, if he's lucky that's all we'll do." Takuya scoffed. Everyone else stared worriedly after the boys, some of them debating whether or not to follow them.

Kouji and Takuya traveled to a set of stairs and walked down to another floor, this one covered in rubble and debris with the only light provided by the moonlight shining through the windows.

"All right, so start talking." Takuya ordered, struggling to keep the vicious anger from his tone.

Kouji didn't speak for a moment. "Why do you think you're here, Takuya?"

The question sort of caught Takuya off-guard. "Huh?"

"Answer me." Kouji ordered. "I wanna know why you're here."

"Well, you know, we're here to save the world." Takuya shrugged.

"You say that like you don't know what it means, what's at stake." Kouji growled. "This isn't just some video game you can walk away from if things don't work out!"

"I'm not stupid, you know!" Takuya snapped. "I know that!"

"Sometimes I really don't think you do." Kouji said, finally turning to face Takuya. "There's no second chances for us, get it? If we mess up here, it's over!"

"Yeah, I-I know!" Takuya insisted, his voice wavering.

"Then how can you stake our lives on some plan that you only assume is going to work?" Kouji demanded. "We don't know anything about this guy!"

"So, what we'll all be safe if we run away?" Takuya scoffed.

"I didn't say that!" Kouji sounded frustrated now, with himself and Takuya.

"Then what are you saying?" Takuya shouted.

Kouji suddenly grabbed Takuya's shirt and pulled him forward, throwing the brunette against the stone wall and pinning him there. "Listen, Takuya. You weren't there when I crossed swords with him, okay? I doubt he was using even half his strength against me! That whole fight, all he was doing was playing with us!"

Takuya couldn't deny that. Even his best attacks didn't work against Duskmon, and based on Kouji's tone the raven-haired boy didn't lie. "Yeah…okay, maybe…..but we're the good guys! There must be a way to win!"

"He's. Too. Strong!" Kouji insisted.

"I know he's strong!" Takuya cried. "But every time we've run into someone more powerful than us, we've worked together and everything has turned out fine! I really believe that if we just attack as one we can't lose!"

"Takuya." Kouji sounded almost more pleading now. "Open your eyes!"

"Open your own eyes!" Takuya retorted. "We're more powerful together than you think!"

The two boys glared at each other, eyes locked and unwavering. The air became tense enough to cut through with a knife, both boys not moving an inch. Though the Warrior of Light and Warrior of Fire fought before, their little arguments was nothing compared to this skirmish.

Finally, Kouji's face relaxed in defeat and disappointment, releasing Takuya and turning from him. "You just don't get it, do you? Tell me something: it's obvious you don't care about yourself, but can you promise me the others won't get hurt? 'Cause if you can't, then you better just go home now, because I won't let you risk their lives!"

Takuya stared at Kouji, not expecting such words from the raven-haired boy's mouth. In all the time they knew each other, Kouji came off as a lone wolf type, certainly not the kind to really care about others. He wanted to say yes, of course he would make sure the others wouldn't get hurt. Then again, he couldn't control what happened in the battle, so he couldn't promise that something wouldn't happen. But surely they could win this battle, just like they won all the other ones.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Kouji's and Takuya's skulls and bashed them together, forcing them to fall to the ground and groan in pain.

"Aw man, that's gonna hurt tomorrow!" Takuya moaned.

"It hurts now!" Kouji snapped. "You are such a hardhead!"

"_Shut up! Both of you!"_

The boys jumped and looked up to see who shouted at them. But they blinked in surprise when they saw a familiar ice Majin standing above them. "Sorcermon?" Takuya breathed, both he and Kouji a little afraid of the murderous glare in Sorcermon's eyes.

"You!" Sorcermon grabbed the front of Takuya's shirt and shoved him aside. "When we first met, you gave off the demeanor and stature of a leader. Now act like one! A leader does what's best for everyone, not just himself!" He suddenly grabbed Kouji's arm and began dragging him off. "You come with me. We need to talk."

"Sorcermon, what are you doing?" Kouji demanded, not quite sure how to process this sudden bout of violence from the normally tranquil Digimon.

"Sorcermon, stop!" Takuya called, grabbing Sorcermon's shoulder. "I am seriously getting worried about you. Ever since we came to this place, you've been jumpy and a little moody like something bad is gonna happen! Like something worse than Duskmon! Is there something you're not telling us?"

Sorcermon glared at the ground, not turning to face Takuya. But Kouji noticed something in the Majin's eyes; a twinge of fear in all that anger. Sorcermon turned his head to Takuya only a little bit. "You really need to think about what I said, Takuya. Because I'm beginning to wonder if I made the right choice in putting my faith in you." With that, he resumed his forceful leading of Kouji up the stairs and away from Takuya, leaving the brunette to stare after him.

"What's this about?" Kouji demanded once they reached the top of the stairs.

Sorcermon finally released Kouji's arm, allowing the boy to rub the sore spot. "You need to start trusting someone other than yourself. I understand your fear for everyone's lives, but what if Takuya's plan works?"

"What if it doesn't?" Kouji demanded. "You saw what happened! You only caused Duskmon damage because he touched you, and we don't know how it caused him pain!"

"Kouji, surely you couldn't have known how any of your previous battles would turn out." Sorcermon reasoned. "Yet somehow it all worked out and everyone got away alive. This time will be no different."

"How do you know?" Kouji growled, his fists clenched as he glared at the Majin.

Sorcermon matched the glare, but his tone remained calm. "Because we have a Plan B. I promised I would protect you all, and nothing's going to stop me from doing that very thing. So if the plan fails, you and Takuya will take everyone and get out of here while I hold off Duskmon."

"Are you crazy?!" Kouji shouted. "You won't last two seconds against him!"

"I can fight him long enough for you all to escape and get far enough away that he won't find you easily." Sorcermon reasoned.

"But you will die." Kouji guessed.

"Most likely." Sorcermon nodded.

Kouji glared at the ground, shaking with fury and frustration. "No…no! I can't allow that!"

"Then it's a good thing I'm not asking for permission." Sorcermon replied coolly.

"Nobody here wants you to die to protect us!" Kouji shouted. "You promised Tommy you wouldn't!"

"Tommy will learn that not all promises can be kept." Sorcermon said, slight sorrow coming to his tone.

"I didn't save your life back at Seraphimon's castle just so you could go and get yourself killed!" Kouji shouted.

"My only value, the only purpose I have in this life, is to protect the Legendary Warriors so they may save the Digital World!" Sorcermon shouted back. "I don't have any other destiny to follow. I failed in protecting Seraphimon, so if I die keeping you all alive, then I'll die fighting for all of you!" He glared at the ground. "I'm an expendable pawn, worth nothing more than that."

Kouji stared at Sorcermon, becoming more distraught than angry now. "How…how can you think so little of yourself? How can you hate yourself so much to think that way?"

Sorcermon locked eyes with the boy. "It's not about self-loathing; it's about knowing my place. We will go forward with Takuya's plan, and if it doesn't work then I will fight Duskmon _alone._"

"What?"

Sorcermon and Kouji turned to see Takuya stood at the top of the stairs, staring at the two of them. But the brunette's eyes were mostly locked on Sorcermon as he stared.

Sorcermon narrowed his eyes. "Takuya, you must promise me that, should your plan fail, you will take your friends far away from here and leave me behind to fight. Promise me that, Takuya."

Takuya stared at Sorcermon, looking just as distraught as Kouji. "Uh…." Suddenly, the ground began shaking and bits of the ceiling broke off to fall down towards them. "An earthquake?"

"No." Kouji breathed. "It's him!"

Sorcermon's eyes widened. "Tommy….." He suddenly turned and sprinted off. "The others!" Takuya and Kouji followed close behind, sprinting back up to where they left their friends. But they found the entire top floor demolished, with nothing left besides a bunch of rubble. Bokomon and Neemon hid nearby while the rest of the DigiDestined already Beast Spirit Evolved to face Duskmon, who stood before a large ditch that lead to the destruction.

"I guess we couldn't have run away from this guy even if we wanted to, Kouji!" Takuya snapped.

"Not now!" Sorcermon shouted. "Just Spirit Evolve and let's go!" Kouji seemed a little worried, but figured it would be safer if he was in Spirit form as long as Duskmon was around.

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution! KendoGarurumon!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Agunimon!"_

Agunimon, KendoGarurumon, and Sorcermon quickly joined with the others, ready to go. "This is it, guys!" Agunimon called. "Attack!" He and Sorcermon lunged forward, running right towards Duskmon.

"Wait!" KendoGarurumon called, but they were already gone.

"I guess we _have _to follow Takuya's plan now." MetalKabuterimon said.

"Hey, don't worry." Korikakumon assured. "It's a good plan."

"Let's hope so." MetalKabuterimon said.

Agunimon and Sorcermon kept their eyes on their target as they ran. "You ready, Sorcermon?"

"Absolutely." Sorcermon nodded. "Just be careful!" He broke off to stand off to one side, watching Agunimon go in to fight. _This will work. No matter what, my nightmare will not come true._

"You're nothing against all of us together, Duskmon!" Agunimon shouted. "So you wanna fight? Here comes the worst you've ever seen! _Pyro Darts!" _But even when he launched his most furious of fire attacks, Duskmon dodged them both. Agunimon felt his anger hit a peak. "All right, Speedy! Dodge this! _Pyro Tornado!" _He came forth surrounded by a flaming tornado, ending the attack with a swift kick to Duskmon's face. But though the dark Digimon's head jerked to one side, he hardly moved besides that. Agunimon jumped back, staring in horror.

"You fool." Duskmon taunted. "Did you learn nothing from our last meeting?"

"No….I can't lose…" Agunimon trembled with fury and a little fear. _But how can I win? _The fury overtook the fear, and Agunimon suddenly ran forward and began punching Duskmon's face as hard as he could. But even his strongest blows did little to harm or faze Duskmon. He hardly moved an inch since dodging Agunimon's first attacks.

"Are you finished?" Duskmon asked, as though bored.

Agunimon stared in horror. "He's so strong….." _I can't beat this guy! There's just no way! _His words from Kouji's argument echoed in his skull. He had and still has faith that if they all attack together, work as a team, that they could beat Duskmon once and for all. But first he had to beat him, and how could he do that if Duskmon hardly reacted to his strikes?

"_Drowning Aquarius!" _Sorcermon suddenly launched the water attack, the water encasing a mildly surprised Duskmon's legs before freezing solid. "I got him, Agunimon!"

Agunimon's eyes fell into a determined glare. _Well I guess I better find out if I'm right. It's time to go to work, guys! _Agunimon came forward, but did a fake-out and darted behind Duskmon, putting him in the best full nelson hold he could manage. "Attack now!"

"That's our cue!" Zephyrmon called, spurring the other four DigiDestined to get into position. They each took their spots around Duskmon. The dark armored Digimon didn't move, either from being restrained or from simply lack of effort.

"It's over, Duskmon! You're finished!" Agunimon growled. _It's now or never. _"Let him have it!"

"_Hurricane Gale!" _Zephyrmon launched the wind attack.

"_Lupine Laser!" _KendoGarurumon shot the blast from his mouth.

"_Bolo Thunder!" _MetalKabuterimon tossed the lightning.

"_Avalanche Axes!" _Korikakumon threw his weapons.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon added his own attack for good measure.

Agunimon leaped up and away just as the attacks nailed their target, encasing him in a multi-colored glow and a large explosion. "All right!" Agunimon cheered.

"They did it." Sorcermon smiled with pride and relief.

Suddenly, Duskmon gave a shout of effort, and the multi-colored blast shrank down and down until it was completely absorbed by the Legendary Warrior of Darkness.

Everyone stared in shock, but Bokomon and Neemon looked like they would fall over. "He absorbed all of their attacks." Bokomon whimpered.

Agunimon landed a few feet behind Duskmon. "It's not possible!"

The eyes on Duskmon's armor looked to Agunimon, then the Digimon's eyes followed. "You shall be first." He turned and lunged for Agunimon.

"_No!" _Sorcermon suddenly shot forward, kicking Agunimon away. The Warrior of Fire tumbled to the ground, gasping in horror at the sight of Sorcermon taking the full brunt of Duskmon's punch. Sorcermon hit the ground, but suddenly curled and flipped up to a land in a crouching position. The ice Majin glared at Duskmon with hate-filled eyes, his cheek throbbing and blood from his mouth seeping into his cowl.

"Foolish little Majin." Duskmon sneered, standing up straight.

Sorcermon's grip tightened on his staff. "You touch them and I'll kill you!" He shouted in effort as he ran forward, pulling a fist back with the express intent of planting it in Duskmon's face. But when he jumped up and threw the punch, Duskmon simply raised a skull-covered hand and caught the attack. Once Sorcermon's fist made contact with the skull, it suddenly began smoking and Duskmon shouted in pain as he shoved Sorcermon back.

"It burns!" Duskmon screamed. "Why does it burn?!"

Sorcermon looked to his hand. "That's it….." He looked up just as Duskmon swung his sword towards the Majin, raising his staff to catch the blade in one of the crooks of the snowflake ornament. Sorcermon struggled to stay standing as Duskmon pushed the blade harder and harder, trying to force the smaller Digimon to the ground. "Agunimon! Get everybody out of here!" Sorcermon shouted through gritted teeth.

Agunimon stared, unable to move much like the rest of the team. "Sorcermon…."

Sorcermon moved his staff down to force the blade into the dirt, jumping up and kicking Duskmon's chest. Duskmon stumbled just a little, but it was just enough for Sorcermon to cast a sheet of ice on the ground and cause the dark Digimon to slip and slide across it. Then, much to everyone's surprise, Sorcermon ran forward and jumped to wrap his arms around Duskmon's chest, tackling him to the ground. This time, there was a definite sizzling sound as Sorcermon's touch began to burn Duskmon, causing smoke to rise off the dark Digimon's body. Duskmon screeched in pain, writhing and trying to force Sorcermon off him. But the Majin kept a tight grip, not feeling a thing.

"All of you!" Sorcermon shouted, struggling to keep his grip while Duskmon twisted in pain. "Run!"

"We won't leave you!" Korikakumon shouted, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

"_Go now!" _Sorcermon ordered. But then, he felt like something stabbed him in the chest, and hallucinations of his nightmare appeared before his eyes. Shouting in pain, Sorcermon suddenly pushed himself off Duskmon and stumbled back. His staff dropped from his hands and he clutched his head, desperately willing the pain and the visions to go away. _What's happening? What power is this?_

Duskmon shakily rose to his feet, still smoking a bit. "You….you demon!" He raised his sword, moving to kill Sorcermon._ "Die!" _Duskmon disappeared, only to reappear before the ice Majin in a flash.

"No!" KendoGarurumon gasped.

Sorcermon could only stare in shock, still clutching his skull in pain, time seeming to slow down as Duskmon raised his sword and then brought it down.

The ice Digimon squeezed his eyes shut, preparing for death.

"Sorcermon!" Agunimon shouted, running towards him.

The blade came down.

_Please. _Sorcermon prayed, waiting for the sword to destroy him. _Please just let them live._

"_Kouji!" _The DigiDestined screamed.

Sorcermon's eyes flew open to see KendoGarurumon leaped between him and the strike. Pain was evident on the Digimon's face, especially after he dedigivolved back to Kouji. The raven-haired boy hit the ground and stayed there, a grunt of pain escaping his lips.

"Kouji!" Sorcermon shouted, kneeling down and lifting the boy into his arms.

"Kouji!" Agunimon reached the boy's side and stared at him, his body trembling.

Duskmon paused, staring at the scene. "K-Kouji…?"

Kouji cringed, his teeth grit in obvious pain. "Kouji, why?!" Agunimon cried in anguish. "Kouji!"

The name seemed to echo in the air, or maybe Duskmon was just imagining that. But he suddenly stepped back and away from Agunimon, Kouji, and Sorcermon. Korikakumon, Zephyrmon, and MetalKabuterimon tensed, but they paused when they realized Duskmon looked confused, maybe even anguished.

"What?" Duskmon growled in a raspy voice. "What is it?"

"What's wrong with him?" Zephyrmon asked worriedly.

"I don't know. He's acting weird!" Korikakumon said.

"No kidding!" MetalKabuterimon gulped a little.

Duskmon let out a frustrated if not painful shout. "What is happening?!"

Agunimon and Sorcermon hardly paid any attention, the latter still cradling Kouji close to him. "You weren't supposed to do that! I told you I'd protect you." Sorcermon growled, his grip tightening on the boy.

"This is all my fault." Agunimon moaned. "Oh Kouji…."

Duskmon suddenly gave a loud shout that came out almost like a roar. _"Kouji!"_

A deep, dark cloud suddenly shot from Duskmon's body, spreading across the area faster than a wildfire. Everyone shouted in surprise as the cloud engulfed each and every one of them, shrouding them in the darkness.

* * *

Takuya moaned a little as he came to, blinking his eyes open. But he only saw darkness all around as he rose to his feet. Even his friends were nowhere in sight; neither was the forest of the Continent of Darkness. "Where….where am I?"

Suddenly, two large lights that looked very much like eyes appeared in the blackness. "The Dark Terminal." A deep voice answered Takuya's question.

"The Dark Terminal?" Takuya repeated.

"End of the line, kid. Where you go when you have nowhere else to go." The lights steadily came on to reveal the eye-like lights actually belonged to a dark grey Trailmon.

"End of the line, huh?" Takuya murmured, despondent. "That sounds right. It's where guys like me end up. Guys who hurt their friends."

"It's decision time." The Trailmon said, his lights turning on. "You wanna head home?"

Takuya blinked numbly. "What do you mean? Seriously? I….can go home?"

"Express to your world." Trailmon said, and that's when Takuya noticed the passenger cars behind the Trailmon. "You already bought your ticket."

"I don't know. Maybe I should stay and help my friends." Takuya murmured. He had every right to be suspicious or nervous, but at the moment he didn't exactly care. He hurt his friends; he put them all at risk; he….got Kouji killed. "But then again….when have I ever _really _helped them?" Takuya slowly walked over to the passenger car, feeling completely drained of energy. "Okay. Let's go."

Trailmon opened up one of the doors. "All aboard."

Takuya entered without hesitation, taking a seat on one of the benches as the door closed. "Good luck, guys."

Trailmon began moving, chugging along down the tracks until the station disappeared completely.


	10. Episode 22

**A/N: This may not seem like a significant chapter, but it's worth reading before you move on to the next one! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Episode 22**

Takuya listened to the train whistle as it sped along the tracks, but his mind wandered to other things. Some would say that Takuya was abandoning his friends, and that he should stay to help them fight. But it was his stupid plan that got them all in trouble.

"_Takuya? Can we really beat Duskmon?"_

"_You know, you worry too much, buddy. Once we put my new plan into action, we'll take that laughing eyeball out in one shot! He won't know what hit him!"_

Takuya laughed softly. "That was some plan all right. Oh well. Doesn't really matter now. Sorcermon will take care of them. I'm goin' home." _Sorcermon always knew what was best for us anyway. He was always ready to protect us no matter what. They'll be fine as long as he's around._

Suddenly, Takuya felt a jolt, and he shouted in surprise as he felt the air around him shifting like a living thing. He didn't know it at the time, but his very form flickered as it did when he first entered the Digital World.

As quickly as it started, it stopped, and Trailmon slowed to a halt. "This is it, kid. End of the line."

The doors opened, and Takuya tentatively stepped out of the train car to look around. "Wait a minute, this isn't home." Looking around, Takuya could only see a large, circular room with a tall tower the held several elevators. Nothing more besides that. "Where am I?" Takuya breathed. He stared at the elevators for a moment, and then gasped as it clicked in his head. "I get it. This must be where we all left for the Digital World. But…" He turned to Dark Trailmon. "Hey, what's up? Why am I here?"

"Bye, kid." Dark Trailmon said, closing his doors.

Takuya jumped, but something caught his eye and he turned to stare down the tunnel the Trailmon came out of. Dark clouds, like fog, spilled into the room as though to introduce the figure that came through. Takuya's eyes widened and he whimpered a bit at the sight of Duskmon coming through the smoke. His fear rising, Takuya turned and sprinted over to the elevator doors, only to find them shut with no clear way to open them. Meanwhile, Duskmon prowled closer and closer to him.

"Open up!" Takuya screamed, pounding on the elevator doors. "Please! Let me in! Please!" He turned as Duskmon towered over him, pressing his back to the elevator doors and staring in fear. The doors suddenly opened, causing Takuya to stumble back inside. He scooted as far away as he could, screaming in terror when Duskmon tried to prevent the doors from closing.

There was a flash of light.

* * *

Takuya heard the elevator _ding_ and the doors open, but then he heard people murmuring in curiosity, fear and disgust. Opening his eyes, Takuya suddenly noticed his hands didn't look the same, nor did he wear his gloves. In fact, he didn't wear shoes either, and his feet suddenly had three toes instead of five on each foot, with sharp red claws. Takuya felt his panic levels rising, and he suddenly shouted in terror. Unwillingly, a shot of fire escaped his mouth, and he suddenly darted out of the elevator and tore through the crowd of people.

"What's going on?!" Takuya panted, running on all fours through the train station. If he was expecting an answer, he didn't get one either way. He continued to run until he managed to get on top of a train that sped off down the rails. Once the train reached another station Takuya leaped off of it and darted outside, running up a tree and hiding in the branches. He panted heavily, the adrenaline rush finally wearing off.

"Is this some alternate universe or something?" Takuya gulped, carefully parting the leaves in the tree to get a better look at his surroundings. He blinked. "Wait….it's…..my hometown." He sighed. "It's all the same. Well, except for me." He stared at his hand and the strange red pants he wore, wondering what could've happened. The belt buckle on his pants looked very much like the one he wore as Agunimon. _What happened? When I said I wanted to go home I didn't really mean like this._

Suddenly, the foliage began shaking, and Takuya gasped at the sight of Duskmon appearing once more. "Leave me alone!" Takuya cried, almost falling out of the tree. Then, a bright flash appeared, and a sphere of light slammed into Duskmon. Takuya was surprised, but wasted no time in jumping from the tree and away from Duskmon. He flew through the air, landing on the roof of a nearby building, and continued to run as he made his way down the streets he knew.

Within minutes, Takuya arrived in a familiar neighborhood and jumped to the ground, crouching beside a lamp post. He stared down the street, taking in all the sights. One sight in particular caught his attention. "It's…it's my house. I made it!" He took off down the street, not seeing the car backing into the road until it jerked to a halt and he rammed into it, hitting the ground hard. He heard someone crying out in surprise, and he shakily rose to assure them he was all right. He leaned over to see into the shotgun side window. "I'm sorry….I…" His eyes widened in realization. "Uh….Mishi, it's you!" But he blinked in surprise to see the young girl and her mother staring in horror, the older woman scrambling to roll the window up again. "Wait, I won't hurt you! It's me, Takuya! Don't you recognize me?" But when he got a look at his reflection in the window, he realized why everyone was freaking out.

A Digimon stared back at Takuya, with bright green eyes, a wild bush of orange hair, and two knobs on his head like horns. Gold earrings hung in his elf-like ears, and white markings graced his cheeks. He wore only a red vest to match his pants, and wrist cuffs and anklets. He even had a bright orange tail, which looked very much like fire, sprouted from his tailbone.

He was Flamemon.

"My face!" Flamemon screamed, leaping away. He dove into the tree near his home, panting heavily. _It's a dream. It has to be a dream! _But no matter how much he pinched himself, he couldn't deny that it was all too real to be a dream. "Oh great. It's not a dream. This is just fantastic! What next?!" He nearly jumped out of his skin and fell from the tree when a light came into his vision, but he calmed down when he found only a ghostly, glowing ball floating before him. The ball looked like a clear sphere, glowing in a soft golden light with an almost spectral feel to it, roughly the size of a softball.

Flamemon blinked a few times. "What are ya, Sparky the Nightlight?" Then he blinked in remembrance. "Oh yeah. You're the light that beat back Duskmon before. Thanks, little guy. I owe you one."

The sphere didn't respond, only floating in front of Flamemon.

Flamemon smiled. "Well at least I have some company. But I can't stay a Digimon!" He pulled out his D-Tector, but nothing he did could activate the device. He frantically pressed buttons, praying for a reaction. "Come on! Do it! I wanna be myself again! Just turn me back!" But the D-Tector only gave static, and Flamemon groaned. "Oh, that's great. I'm stuck! What do I do? I can't go home looking like some freaked-out mutant!" He looked to the glowing ball. "I don't suppose you know what to do?"

Still, the ball didn't respond.

"Mom, I'm back."

Flamemon paused, the ball seeming to do the same, and he looked to the window of his home. His eyes widened at the sight of an all-too-familiar boy sitting at the dining table. "Wait a minute. That's me! I don't understand….." Taking a closer look, Flamemon noticed a cake on the table, covered in whip cream, strawberries, and candles with the words "Happy Birthday" written across it. "This is…..oh wow." Flamemon breathed. "I'm going crazy. This can't be possible!" He jumped from the tree to crouch beside the window, the glowing ball accompanying him. Flamemon peered into the house, watching his mother talk to his father on the phone while Shinya read a comic on the floor. Takuya….or, he…..sat at the dining table looking quite bored.

"I don't know how…..but it's true." Flamemon breathed. "This is the day I left. I've come back on the same day I left for the Digital World." He looked to his mother, and suddenly he felt his heart breaking. "Mom…I remember now. You had to wake me up 'cause I'd overslept….as usual." Tears began dotting the corners of Flamemon's eyes as they traveled to his little brother. "Shinya…we used to fight all the time, didn't we Birthday Boy?" Finally, Flamemon's eyes looked to the picture on a nearby shelf, showing him and his brother with their father. "Dad…you promised that….you'd play soccer with me next weekend….." There was no stopping the tears now as they flowed down Flamemon's face, dripping to the ground. "But I left. Why? I could've been at home with my family waiting for Shinya to blow out the candles on his stupid cake. I never should've gone!" He fell to his knees, sobs wracking his body as he let the sorrowful tears fall. The glowing ball rubbed against him, as though to comfort the boy-turned-Digimon, and Flamemon held the ball close as though it was the only thing that mattered in the world.

"5:40?!" Takuya suddenly cried from inside. "I'll never make it!"

Flamemon perked up. "What if I didn't make it? If I don't get on the train, then everything will go back to normal!" Flamemon smiled in determination. "I'll be me again! Takuya, you've got a train to miss!"

Flamemon leaped into the tree again, the ghostly ball following close behind.

Takuya burst out his front gate, making a beeline towards the station. But he paused when he heard a voice shout at him. He could've sworn it cried "Don't go!" But when he looked around he saw no one. "Talk about talking to yourself. Aw man, look at what time it is! I gotta jam!" The boy took off again, determined to not miss the train.

Flamemon mentally cursed himself. _Guess I should've known it wouldn't be easy. _He leaped down from the tree, keeping his eyes on Takuya as the boy sprinted down the street. Flamemon bounded after himself, noticing the glowing ball keeping perfect pace with him. Takuya suddenly paused to grab a soccer ball rolling downhill, stomping on it to halt its trajectory and kicking it back towards its owners.

"Don't go!" Flamemon shouted, catching Takuya's attention. But what really caught both of their attention was the truck barreling down the road towards them. Flamemon dived forward, tackling Takuya out of harm's way as the truck screeched to a halt. _"Don't go!"_

Once the driver managed to stop, he hurriedly pushed the door open to stare at the boy he almost hit. "You okay?"

Takuya pushed himself upright, looking for the creature that saved his life. But he saw no one. He checked his phone, which read the same message he got from before. "Oh no! Hey, buddy, what time is it?"

The driver checked his watch. "Uh, couple before 5:45."

Takuya groaned as he took off again. Flamemon and the glowing ball watched from their perch on the roof of the truck. "I gotta figure out a better way to stop myself, 'cause I won't stop." Flamemon groaned. "But how? I remember thinking if I didn't make it, I was gonna miss out. Yeah…..miss out on hurting my friends." He looked to the glowing ball. "What about you, glowing ball thingy? You got any ideas?"

The ball just floated there, either unable to give a response or just refusing to.

Flamemon frowned. "Jeez, what good are you if all you do is float there?" Flamemon jumped as the dark cloud rolled in again, bringing Duskmon with it. Instantly, Flamemon froze up in fear. But the sound of Duskmon growling caused him to shout in terror and stumble backwards. He cowered on the ground, waiting for Duskmon to hurt him, but gasped in surprise when the glowing ball suddenly rammed into Duskmon. The dark Digimon shouted in pain, stepping back and away from Flamemon. A van shot past, and the dark cloud and Duskmon disappeared. Flamemon stared at the open space, panting a little. Then he gasped again. "Little glowing ball thingy? Hey! Where'd you go?" He looked all around, but the glowing sphere disappeared. "Hey! Hey…..uh…Sparky! Sparky, come back!"

The glowing ball popped up in Flamemon's line of sight, and the Digimon laughed as he hugged the little sphere.

"Oh thank goodness." Flamemon sighed. "You really had me worried there." He looked towards where Duskmon once rested. "It wasn't real. But you still protected me from it." He groaned in frustration. "What now? How can I stop myself if I can't even think straight?" He looked ahead to see Takuya still running towards the station. "Don't go! Takuya! Don't go!" He took off running again, Sparky the glowing ball right beside him.

* * *

By the time Flamemon and Sparky managed to catch up with Takuya, the brunette already got his ticket and made it to the platform to get on the train. "I'm outta time!" Flamemon cursed. "But I'm not on the elevator yet. There's still a chance!" Flamemon took a breath and then leaped high into the air, landing on top of the train and allowing it to take him along. Sparky stuck close to Flamemon, and the Digimon held onto the glowing sphere in case the wind blew him away. Flamemon looked back towards his home, trembling at the thought of leaving it once more. "Goodbye, Mom." The Digimon tried to focus more on holding onto the train, but he couldn't stop the tears from escaping his eyes.

Flamemon waited until the train was a little ways down the tracks before venturing closer to the side, peering through the window at the passengers. He could see himself riding in one car, but he also caught sight of another DigiDestined. "Hey! It's Kouji!" But he blinked, realizing he was seeing double….literally. "Wait a minute, there's _two _Kouji's?"

Sure enough, one of the boys was clearly Kouji. But another boy stood in the next car over, with Kouji's eyes and hair, wearing a red shirt, green polo, and a blue baseball hat.

"Man. I'm really losing it." Flamemon sighed. "He looks so much like him, but that can't be Kouji. He's not. Then who the heck is that guy?" He never got an answer, nor did he have the time to think about it as the train rolled into the station. He noticed Takuya leaving the train, running off just as fast as before. "He's already at the elevator! Come on, Sparky! Let's go!" Flamemon and Sparky took off, running after Takuya. But Takuya already dived into the elevator and the doors closed, taking him and Kouji down. The Kouji look-alike pounded on the elevator doors, but soon took off again towards the stairs. Flamemon jumped to the elevator doors and struggled to pry them open, desperate to get inside. He noticed the second Kouji running off, but focused more on the doors as he forcefully pulled them open. Staring down into the darkness of the elevator shaft, Flamemon began to wonder if it was really worth it to try and stop himself from going. Once he decided it was, he grabbed one of the elevator cables and slid down the shaft, Sparky close behind to light the way.

Laying in a heap at the bottom of a flight of stairs he fell down, the second Kouji could only murmur his look-alike's name as darkness consumed his vision.

Flamemon hit the elevator and pulled open the emergency hatch, staring down at Takuya and Kouji as they peered out at the several Trailmon in the station. "It's already gone too far." Flamemon murmured. "But I gotta do something! Okay. Here goes nothing!"

Suddenly, Sparky moved between Flamemon and the opening into the elevator, zipping around like a fly.

"Stop it, Sparky!" Flamemon said, swatting the glowing ball away. "What's gotten into you?" He jumped down, forcing Sparky to follow.

"_It's up to you now." _Ophanimon's voice said from Takuya's phone. _"Which one will you choose?"_

Flamemon was vaguely aware of Kouji running off as he reached a hand out, determined to stop Takuya from running towards the Trailmon. But he glanced over to the departing Kouji, a strange feeling washing over him.

"_Why do you think you're here, Takuya? Answer me! I wanna know why you're here!"_

_Kouji….._ Flamemon found himself frozen in place, staring past Takuya.

The clock hands finally ticked to six o'clock, and the Trailmon doors began to close. Originally, Takuya would start running towards a departing Trailmon, jumping on just in time.

"Guys….." Flamemon breathed.

"_Why'd you guys get on this train? I mean, was it…the message?"_

"_Hey kid, this was the closest train to the elevator, okay? Now look, just leave me alone."_

"_Gee, sorry."_

J.P. He wasn't nearly as kind and goofy as Takuya learned he would be.

"_But there must be a reason why you picked this particular train, right?"_

"_I'm like him. It was closest to the elevator."_

Zoe. She instantly came off as a nice person. But Takuya never guessed how tough she could be.

"_Watch this. Hey honey, you want some chocolate?"_

Well, maybe J.P. _was_ as goofy as before.

"_So who are you?"_

"_I'm…I'm Tommy…but…I didn't wanna get on this train….why are kids always picking on me?"_

Tommy. He certainly had to grow up fast, but it made him so much braver.

Flamemon gasped softly, remembering how their first ride on the Trailmon gave him a glimpse at the very Spirits they would later possess in their adventures. When he got on that train, he didn't think it would lead to such an incredible journey. Meeting the Digimon, becoming such close friends with total strangers, fighting all those battles, and doing all that growing. In what other universe would he have done that if he never got on that train? Would he be the same person he is now?

"_Cherubimon will not rest until his warriors succeed in destroying the entire Digital World. Only through using the power of the Spirits all of you have acquired can we stop Cherubimon, bring peace to the Digital World, and restore it to its original state."_

"Bokomon….Neemon….." Flamemon whispered.

"_I failed in protecting Seraphimon, but I will not allow you to fall to the same fate. My only worth in this world is protecting you all so that you may bring peace to the Digital World. If I die protecting your lives, so be it!"_

"Sorcermon…" Flamemon breathed.

"_Why do you think you're here, Takuya?! Why are you here? Answer me!"_

The plan….the plan that went so horribly wrong…

Flamemon retracted his hand, stepping back from Takuya. Time slowed to a stop as Flamemon's mind raced. _I can't just pretend like none of this ever happened. _Flamemon thought, clenching his fist. _Even if I did go home, I'd never be the person I was._

If he went home, he'd be able to be with his family and watch his brother blow out the candles on the cake. He could eat cake and ice cream with them and enjoy the day, then play soccer with his dad like he promised.

But he wouldn't be the same person he became while in the Digital World.

Flamemon jumped at the sound of steam hissing, indicating the Trailmon departing.

"And the others…" Who's to say they came back like Flamemon did? What if they're still in the Continent of Darkness? What did that black cloud from Duskmon do to them? Sorcermon…..is he still all right? After what he did to Duskmon and almost getting killed? Was Kouji still alive? Flamemon squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't leave them." He glared in determination. _"Takuya! Run! Get on that train! Move it! Go Takuya!"_

Takuya glared in determination, sprinting off towards the departing trains. He reached out towards the railing of one of the cabooses, grabbing it and pulling himself onboard just as he ran out of platform to run on.

Flamemon panted heavily, feeling like a semi-truck lifted off his shoulders. "Go follow your destiny, Takuya."

Sparky bounced around Flamemon's head, and the Digimon chuckled.

"Oh I guess you're proud of me, huh?" Flamemon laughed. But he and Sparky froze when the dark cloud returned, and Duskmon stepped forward once more. Sparky moved in front of Flamemon, the young Digimon moving to take a step back. But anger suddenly flared up in Flamemon's chest, and he instead took a step forward. "No! I won't run away! My friends are waiting; they need me! And I won't let you get in the way!"

Duskmon growled at Flamemon.

Flamemon glared fiercely. "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid of you!" Suddenly, Flamemon's body became engulfed in fire, flaring up like a bonfire. _"No more!" _Flamemon screamed, shooting forward and punching Duskmon. The ghostly image turned to smoke and faded away, finally defeated. Flamemon panted heavily, worn out but happy to finally fight his fear.

Sparky zipped around him, lifting his head up as though to encourage him. Flamemon smiled, watching the glowing ball move to rest a few feet in front of him. "Thanks, Sparky the Nightlight. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't there for me. You're a true friend."

Sparky suddenly glowed brighter, the ball's form expanding and growing and taking a new shape until a ghostly figure stood before Flamemon.

The Digimon gaped. "S-Sorcermon?"

The translucent image of the ice Majin stared at Flamemon, his eyes shining with a comforting glow, before he disappeared in the flash of a Trailmon's lights.

"Dark….Trailmon?" Flamemon breathed.

"Well, I didn't think I'd see _you_ again." Dark Trailmon noted. "Thought you wanted to go home."

Flamemon stood up straight. "I did. I went home. But it was the same….and I wasn't. I turned into this freak show. Because I couldn't figure out who I was."

"I see." Dark Trailmon mused.

"Kouji was right. I didn't know why I was there." Flamemon said, marching over to Dark Trailmon. "But I do now! Trailmon, you have to take me back."

"Are you sure?" Dark Trailmon asked. "Seems to me, that's what got you here in the first place." Flamemon only nodded in affirmation. "This is a one-way ticket, kid." Dark Trailmon warned. "I can't turn around if you get any second thoughts."

"That's not gonna happen." Flamemon assured. "I've made my decision."

"I guess you have." Dark Trailmon said musingly. "All right, then. All aboard." He opened a passenger car door, allowing Flamemon to step inside before speeding off down the tracks and back to the Digital World.

Flamemon stared out the window and towards the fading light of his world. "I love you, Mom and Dad. Happy Birthday, Shinya. See you soon." Flamemon felt the tears coming fast and strong, but he wiped the wetness from his eyes on one of his wrist cuffs. He stared ahead determinedly. "And Kouji, this time things will be different. I know it's not a game now. Sorcermon, you don't have to protect the others alone. I was an idiot for putting you all in danger, but I'm going to make up for it. Hang on! I'm coming! I won't let you down…any of you!"

With new hope and strength in his heart, Flamemon gave a shout nothing short of a battle cry.

"Sounds to me like you figured things out there, kid." Dark Trailmon noted, sounding almost proud.

Flamemon didn't answer, and as they passed on to the Digital World, he quickly digivolved into Agunimon once more.

"Not bad." Dark Trailmon seemed to smile. "Not bad at all."

Dark Trailmon finally pushed through to the Dark Terminal, stopping at one of the platforms and opening the passenger doors. "End of the line." He chuckled softly. "Or maybe not. I think that's up to you. Good luck."

Agunimon stepped off Dark Trailmon, his eyes set in a determined stare. "All right. This is it. Everything starts now. I've got another chance, and I'm not gonna blow it!"


	11. Episode 23

**Episode 23**

Agunimon wasted no time in hurrying back to the battlefield, but when he arrived he found only a large crater where the fight took place. The entire area was deserted: no DigiDestined, no Bokomon and Neemon, no Sorcermon, not even Pipismon or other wild Digimon.

_Everyone's gone. _Agunimon realized with horror. _How could they have survived this? Guys, I'm so sorry. _Agunimon suddenly fell to his knees, shaking with anger until he finally punched the ground. "This is all my fault! My plan was useless!" _Kouji was right. I risked everyone's lives! _But Agunimon didn't let his frustration get the better of him; the more time he wasted pitying himself the more opportunities for his friends to get even more hurt. "I have to find them." He took off running through the forest, leaping over rocks and roots and even a small canyon at one point, shouting for his friends. _Please…..please let them be all right. _His thoughts traveled back to Sorcermon, and the bravery of the Majin fighting Duskmon alone. The shock of seeing the smaller Digimon go up against the Warrior of Darkness was enough to keep everyone else out of the fight, and his frantic pleas for them to run echoed in Agunimon's head. _Sorcermon, please don't be dead. I don't know how you followed me home, but you better be alive or I'll….I'll… _"I'll never forgive myself…."

* * *

"Stop!" Zoe demanded. "Leave that alone!"

"Hey, stop messing around with our D-Tectors!" J.P. snapped.

"Come on, give 'em back to us!" Tommy ordered. But no matter how much they shouted and complained, the Datamon nearby continued to inspect and toy with their Digivices. The three DigiDestined could only watch worriedly, hoping their devices weren't broken, as they stood with arm shackles chaining them to a stone wall. A castle stood nearby, but they were focused on their D-Tectors more than anything else. Tommy's eyes often glanced to Sorcermon lying on the ground beside them, the young boy's eyes shining with worry. The Majin had been bound tightly, with ropes binding his wrists behind his back, his arms to his sides, and his ankles together. He currently lay unconscious and covered in dirt and bruises from previous beatings. The fact that he hadn't moved in several minutes only increasing Tommy's concern.

_Oh please don't be dead, Sorcermon. _Tommy begged. _Please. You've gotta wake up._

"You'll break 'em!" Zoe's shout jolted Tommy from his thoughts.

"I'm warning you!" J.P. threatened.

"Stop it!" Tommy pleaded.

J.P. glared. "Execute now!" He cheered when his D-Tector began flying towards him, but then groaned in frustration when the device hit a force field and bounced back to the Datamon. "Aw man. What's the use?"

"Don't say that!" Tommy urged. "We can't give up now. I'm sure Kouji or Takuya will find a way to save us."

"We have to believe in them." Zoe added.

"I want to, but it's hard." J.P. admitted. Zoe and Tommy fell quiet, both of them fighting to keep their hopes up. But after getting captured with no knowledge of their friends' whereabouts, it was getting harder and harder to keep their spirits alive.

"What's the good word?" The DigiDestined jumped a little as Mercurymon and Ranamon came down from the castle. "Have you pried loose the Spirits?" The Datamon shook their heads collectively, indicating they had no such luck. Mercurymon looked to his human captives. "Twill be well for you _children_ to reconsider and give us what we seek."

"Forget it, Metal Head!" Zoe snapped. "We're not telling you anything! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever! So you might as well just let us down before we get mad!"

"Oh I don't think so." Ranamon scoffed. "Mercurymon, can't I squash just one of 'em? All of this whining's giving me a headache." She internally smirked at the slight fear coming to the children's eyes. They knew they'd probably get tortured in some way, but they had no idea what method Ranamon and Mercurymon would use, violent or otherwise.

"Patience, my anxious urchin." Mercurymon said. "Methinks thine humor ill-received. No, we shall use these three as bait to lure the other two out of hiding."

"Oh but shugah, aren't you sick of waiting?" Ranamon sighed impatiently. "It'd be faster to just _make_ 'em tell us where their friends are right now."

Mercurymon hummed in thought. "I fear it will be a fool's errand, milady. But do as you wish."

"Oh goody, goody!" Ranamon smirked.

"You better leave us alone or you're really gonna regret it you big cowards!" Tommy shouted.

"I beg your pardon?" Mercurymon growled. Ranamon felt a twinge of sympathy for the young human boy; clearly he didn't know to not insult Mercurymon like that, seeing how the Warrior of Steel was very prideful.

"You heard me!" Tommy snapped, despite Zoe's and J.P.'s warnings. "You're nothing but a couple of bullies! You're weak compared to us! You're not real Legendary Warriors!"

Mercurymon suddenly lunged forward, grabbing Tommy by the throat and hoisting him up a ways. Zoe and J.P. shouted for their friend, desperately trying to move to him but the chains keeping them back. Tommy gasped and wriggled in Mercurymon's grip, fear fully in his eyes.

"You'd best learn to bite your tongue, you little whelp." Mercurymon growled. "Or else it'll be cut out. Leave this foolish boy to me, Ranamon. I will show him what _true _pain feels like." The Warrior of Steel smirked maliciously. "His screams will echo through the Continent of Darkness."

"Leave him alone!" Zoe pleaded. "Tommy!"

"Let me go….." Tommy begged, his voice coming out strained.

Mercurymon chuckled darkly, but suddenly paused. Soon, everyone became aware of the snowflakes falling, but when they looked up it seemed they only fell from the clouds directly rested over their heads. The flakes began coming down harder, and the wind picked up to swirl around the Evil Legendary Warriors and the DigiDestined. Mercurymon jumped back, releasing Tommy who gasped deeply. He coughed from the sudden rush of cold air, but he then became aware of something else flying in the wind.

"Feathers?" Tommy breathed.

"What's happening?" Ranamon demanded. "Where did this snow come from?"

Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. blinked in realization and they looked down towards Sorcermon. The ice Majin seemed to still be unconscious, as he wouldn't move in the slightest. But his eyes were open and glowing in a pure white light. He didn't seem to be aware of his actions as the blizzard increased in power, snowflakes mixed with sparkling white feathers. Then, the snow began sticking to the Ranamon and Mercurymon no matter how much they tried to rub it off. Even the Datamon cowered in fear, though protected by the force field. Zoe realized ice was forming on her shoes, and beginning to spread to the rest of her. The same happened to Tommy and J.P. Still, the storm didn't stop.

"Sorcermon!" Tommy shouted over the wind. "Sorcermon, stop! You're going to freeze us all!"

Abruptly, the storm dissipated to nothingness, leaving only the ice on its victims to indicate the brief blizzard actually happened. Sorcermon's eyes stopped glowing and slid closed, forcing him back into full unconsciousness.

Mercurymon stared at the Majin, almost fearfully. "What was that?"

"Don't be foolish, Mercurymon." Ranamon snapped, rubbing the ice and snow off her. "You and I know _exactly _what that was."

"But it's not possible!" Mercurymon insisted. "How couldst that puny little weakling have that kind of power? Where could he have received the Angel's Blessing?"

"Angel's Blessing?" Tommy murmured, staring at Sorcermon.

"It doesn't matter where he got it." Ranamon said, staring at the ground intently. "What matters is he got it, which means we won't be able to torture these kiddies in the ways we could."

"True." Mercurymon mused. "If he senses their distress, the Blessing will activate again. You will need to consider a different method of force, milady. But just in case….." He pointed to one of the Datamon. "You there! Take this Majin into the forest and wait for us to retrieve thee. Go as deep into the forest as you wish, but find someplace to wait and stay there until we arrive." The Datamon saluted and grabbed Sorcermon's collar, hauling him away and towards the trees.

"Sorcermon!" Tommy shouted. "Sorcermon, wake up! Whatever you did just now, do it again! _Sorcermon!_" But the Digimon's power seemed to be spent or he just couldn't hear Tommy, because the Datamon disappeared into the forest with Sorcermon in tow.

"The Angel's Blessing….." Mercurymon murmured. "It can't be…"

"We all know the Blessing, Mercurymon." Ranamon said, clearly troubled. "It's not something to mess around with, especially if that little Digi-brat is so protective of these kiddies. But it does explain one thing: perhaps the Blessing is why Cherubimon wants him alive."

"Perhaps." Mercurymon nodded in thought. "Though I wonder if it possible to simply take the Angel's Blessing and then dispose of the bothersome pest."

"We can worry about that after we're sure he won't freeze us to death." Ranamon assured, turning back to Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. with a malicious smirk. "Now may I get back to my work? I have the perfect torture method for these _cuties._"

Mercurymon gave a small half-scoff, half-laugh. "Very well. As you were."

* * *

Bokomon and Neemon had bad days before; living with the Digital World getting torn apart for so long made bad days seem like a normal thing.

But getting chased by a masked monkey Digimon with a crazy boomerang topped the charts.

The two Digimon dove to the ground as the large boomerang narrowly avoided their heads yet again. The weapon looped around again before said monkey Digimon caught it, smirking at Bokomon and Neemon.

"Please don't hurt me!" Bokomon pleaded. "Can't you see I'm with egg? Take my friend! He's a bit annoying, but a good listener."

"What did you say?" Neemon asked mockingly. "I wasn't listening."

"You two are funny!" the monkey Digimon, Sepikmon, said. "Will you be my friends?"

Bokomon and Neemon stared and chuckled nervously. "We'd love to be your friends….." Neemon said uncertainly.

"Then let's dance!" Sepikmon announced.

"I can't dance!" Neemon yelped. "I have no rhythm and two left feet!"

"Well you have to dance or we can't be friends." Sepikmon threatened lightly. "What's it gonna be: boogie or bye-bye?"

"But I never learned how to boogie!" Bokomon gulped, him and Neemon hugging each other in fright.

"Then bye-bye!" Sepikmon threw his boomerang yet again, causing the two smaller Digimon to flinch and cower again. But the strike never came, and when they looked up they saw Agunimon with the recently caught boomerang in hand.

"Are you guys okay?" Agunimon asked.

"Where have you been?" Bokomon asked, sounding more concerned than stern.

"Yeah, we missed you." Neemon added.

"I missed you too." Agunimon sighed, relieved to finally find familiar faces. "Where is everyone?"

"After the fierce battle with Duskmon, they were captured by Mercurymon and Ranamon." Bokomon explained. "J.P., Zoe, and Tommy are all trapped, poor things. And Duskmon has disappeared!"

"Where's Kouji?" Agunimon asked.

"I don't know." Neemon shrugged. "Do I?"

"And Sorcermon?" Agunimon added hurriedly. Bokomon and Neemon looked down, and Agunimon's heart skipped a beat. "Oh no….he's not…_dead_, is he?"

"We don't know." Bokomon admitted, unwillingly flashing back to the moments after the fight with Duskmon. "Most everyone was knocked unconscious by the cloud from Duskmon. You and Kouji disappeared, and then Mercurymon and Ranamon showed up. Sorcermon came forward to protect the others, facing Ranamon and Mercurymon alone." Bokomon fell silent for a moment, sadness reflected in his eyes. "He wasn't fully recovered from the fight; they beat him into Digi-dust in a matter of seconds." The white Digimon flinched, Sorcermon's pained screams echoing in his head.

Agunimon stared at Bokomon, unable to remember when he ever saw the little white Digimon so upset. No doubt Sorcermon would've been more than willing to give his life to defend the others, and Mercurymon would've been happy to oblige. "Bokomon, please think. Is Sorcermon still alive?"

"As I said, we don't know." Bokomon sighed. "We couldn't stand watching them beat on him so much, so Neemon and I ran for it. No doubt they destroyed him and took the others."

Agunimon's fists clenched, anger bubbling up inside him. _Sorcermon…..no….._

"Excuse me, could I have my boomerang back?" Sepikmon piped up.

"That depends." Agunimon turned to Sepikmon. "Will you be more careful with it?"

Sepikmon scratched his head. "Huh? What do you mean 'more careful'? It's a boomerang! I throw it, and it comes back! I'm confused."

"Just watch _where _you throw it, pal." Agunimon scolded gently. "You could hurt someone." Bokomon and Neemon nodded in confirmation, seeing how they were almost the boomerang's next victims.

Sepikmon crouched down, rubbing his head and speaking in a despaired tone. "Oh you're right! I'm sorry! I never wanted to hurt anyone! I just wanted some friends. Friends!"

Agunimon approached Sepikmon with a kind smile. "Maybe you're just trying too hard, buddy." He pushed the boomerang back into its owner's hands, surprising Sepikmon. "Be yourself, you know?" He turned and began walking off with Bokomon and Neemon.

"You mean people will like me if I'm just myself?" Sepikmon asked, making the three departing Digimon pause.

"Well of course." Agunimon said with a soft chuckle.

"Does that mean that you guys would really be my friends?" Sepikmon asked excitedly.

"Sure." Agunimon nodded. "Why not?"

Sepikmon brightened considerably, bouncing around and chanting some strange words. "Mercurymon has our other friends, right? Well maybe I can help you find them."

"What do you mean?" Agunimon asked, happy at the idea of not running around in random directions to find his friends.

Sepikmon tossed up his boomerang, which began to hang in the air with the bend facing a certain way like an arrow. "Just follow my spirit boomerang. It should lead you right to them!"

"We will. Thank you!" Agunimon said gratefully, taking off with Bokomon and Neemon close behind.

"Goodbye my new friends!" Sepikmon waved. "And good luck!"

* * *

Once the Datamon got about a mile or so away (he couldn't exactly judge the distance very well) he decided to settle down at the base of a tree with his captive and wait patiently for Master Mercurymon to contact him. But several minutes passed and he soon found he actually had quite the short attention span. Surely the humans would've started talking by now; Ranamon's non-violent methods of torture involved mostly tickling, which may sound silly but was surprisingly effective. But when Mercurymon didn't come nor contact the Datamon, the machine-like Digimon began to feel boredom take over.

The Datamon looked to Sorcermon and gave him a small kick. But the Majin didn't stir. "Gee, you're awfully boring. Are you even alive?" Sorcermon gave no response, so the Datamon gave him a harder kick with no change. "You better still be alive; Master Mercurymon doesn't want you dead yet." Yet again, nothing. The Datamon began to grow a little worried, knowing Mercurymon would most likely take out his anger of the machine Digimon if he found out the Majin died. "Hey, would you wake up?!" The Datamon grabbed Sorcermon by his hair and shook him a little, but the Majin didn't move in the slightest. Even when the Datamon dropped his head back to the stony ground, he lay there unmoving. Not even a vocal response came. The Datamon sighed, standing and rubbing his hands together. Sparks crackled to life in his palms. "All right, I'm going to guess that you're pretty dead. So it's electroshock treatment for you. Even if it takes a few tries, at least electrocuting you will be more fun than just sitting here." He reached towards Sorcermon, but suddenly something hit him in the back of the head and forced him to stop. "Hey! What's the big idea?"

"_Leave him alone!"_

The Datamon shouted in pain as a foot connected with his face, forcing him to fly backwards and hit the ground. When he looked up to snap at whoever attacked him, the Datamon cowered at the sight of Agunimon standing over him, a boomerang floating nearby.

Agunimon looked close to seething with rage, glaring down at the Datamon. _"Get. Out." _He snarled, fists and teeth clenched.

The Datamon gulped. "Please don't eat me! Eat the Majin, he'll taste better!" He took off screaming in terror, leaving Sorcermon behind.

Agunimon's fury turned to fear in an instant as he knelt beside Sorcermon, tearing the ropes that bound the Majin. He lifted the smaller Digimon into his arms, staring worriedly at his still face. Sorcermon was covered in scorch marks and dirt, and a large bruise was noticeable on the side of his face, near his temple. No doubt he held other wounds currently covered by his clothing. He hardly moved, only further worrying Agunimon.

"Sorcermon?" Agunimon's voice came out weaker than he would've liked. He put an ear to Sorcermon's chest and mouth, sighing in relief at the faintest breathes and gentle heartbeat. "Sorcermon. Come on, you've gotta wake up. Please wake up!" He shook the Majin gently. "Sorcermon, wake up!"

The ice Majin remained still for several tense seconds before he suddenly stirred, moaning softly. He slowly blinked his eyes open, seeing only blurs of colors at first. Everything hurt, so when he tilted his head up a little he almost blacked out again from the pain. But he forced himself to stay awake and blinked a bit more, finally clearing his vision.

"T-Takuya?" Sorcermon rasped. Even his lungs hurt.

"Hey Sorcermon." Agunimon sighed in relief. "Boy am I glad to see you alive."

Sorcermon cracked a smile. "Takuya. You came back. You—" His face scrunched up in pain and he grunted, clutching his chest and stomach.

"Take it easy." Agunimon ordered softly. "You're not exactly in the best shape."

Sorcermon scoffed lightly. "I've had worse."

Agunimon snorted. "Liar."

"I'll be fine." Sorcermon assured, feeling like his muscles were almost nonexistent. "The others…..we have to help them." But when he tried to move again, pain flared up again and he felt darkness creeping into his sight.

"Don't move, Sorcermon." Agunimon said, growing worried as Sorcermon's head began to loll. But the ice Majin remained conscious, even if his eyes only stayed half-open. "You're in no shape to walk, much less fight. We'll get to the others and I'll figure out how to save them. You focus on getting your strength back. Where's your wand?"

"Back with the others, I'm assuming." Sorcermon said, his voice a little strained now.

"All right." Agunimon hooked an arm under Sorcermon's legs and stood up, darting off as the boomerang began flying again. "Just hold tight; everything's going to be fine, I promise."

Sorcermon looked up, finally noticing Bokomon and Neemon clinging to Agunimon's shoulders. The two smaller Digimon looked horrified to see how wounded Sorcermon turned out to be, but the ice Majin tried to not think about it. He grit his teeth in pain whenever Agunimon accidentally jerked a little, agonizing pain threatening to consume him completely. _I can't believe this. _Sorcermon thought. _I'm so useless. How could I have the power to burn Duskmon but it won't work on Mercurymon or Ranamon? What was that strange power anyway? Not that it can do me much good now. I'm worthless._

Agunimon continued running, his feet tapping rhythmically on the ground. Bokomon and Neemon complained for most of the way, clearly not enjoying the ride as they clung to his shoulders for dear life. Sorcermon grunted in pain now and then, but stayed silent. _Please let everyone be all right. _Agunimon prayed. _They've gotta be. If they left Sorcermon alive, even just barely, surely the others are alive too. I just hope they aren't hurt._

Sepikmon's boomerang finally stopped, forcing Agunimon to skid to a halt. Looming ahead of him stood a stone castle, meaning this could only be the location of his friends and enemies. The boomerang spun away to return to its owner while Bokomon and Neemon slid off Agunimon's shoulders, looking dizzy but otherwise fine.

"So where are they?" Agunimon asked, staring towards the castle. His eyes scanned the castle for a moment before a familiar figure caught his attention. "Lobomon!"

"Oh my! He's taking on Mercurymon and Calmaramon all by himself!" Bokomon gasped.

"Bokomon, why are the others stuck to that wall?" Neemon pointed to the remaining DigiDestined, standing off to one side and still chained to the wall while the Datamon messed with their D-Tectors.

"They've been captured you witless nit!" Bokomon snapped.

"They don't have their D-Tectors." Sorcermon informed. "Mercurymon and Ranamon have been trying to extract the Spirits from them."

"Oh I don't think so." Agunimon growled. "Guys!" He took off again, forcing Bokomon and Neemon to sprint after him and jump back on his shoulders.

"Now what?" Bokomon asked worriedly.

"I'm gonna need a plan." Agunimon said, mostly to himself. "I'm gonna need to do this carefully."

"That would be nice!" Neemon noted.

"I can't just jump in without thinking first." Agunimon murmured. "Tommy and the others can't Spirit Evolve. And if those two goons get their hands on them, they won't stand a chance. I'll need Lobomon's help."

"I think he might need yours! Look!" Bokomon stared ahead, and when Agunimon looked he winced at the sight of Lobomon getting smashed into the ground by Calmaramon. "Hurry, Takuya, hurry! Run like the wind!"

"We're not in Ranamon's or Mercurymon's element, so at least the playing field is leveled." Sorcermon said, wincing now and then. "But that doesn't make them any less dangerous. Are you sure you're strong enough to face them?"

"Worry about your own strength." Agunimon assured. "I'm ready to tear those creeps in half for hurting my friends." Sorcermon didn't say anything else, and Agunimon picked up his speed. _I'm going to save them. I have to. _It took only a few more minutes to get to the castle, but it was a few minutes too long for Agunimon's liking. They finally reached the base of the castle, and Agunimon gently lay Sorcermon on the ground, leaning him against a rock. Bokomon and Neemon quickly jumped off Agunimon, clearly not keen on riding him.

"Agunimon…." Sorcermon murmured.

"Just stay here and rest, Sorcermon." Agunimon said with a smile. "You've done plenty; you defended the others with your life and I'd be willing to bet it truly saved their lives."

Sorcermon scoffed lightly. "You'd lose that bet."

Agunimon still smiled. "Nah." He stood up, staring towards the castle. "Bokomon, Neemon, I want you two to stay here and watch over Sorcermon."

"But what are you gonna do?" Neemon asked.

"Wait until the time is right." Agunimon said simply, staring intently into the distance.

"When is that?" Neemon demanded. "So we ran all this way and my tummy got upset for nothing?!"

"All right, quiet please!" Bokomon snapped. "I have a feeling Takuya is right."

"Really?" Neemon shrugged. "Okay!"

Agunimon allowed his sharp senses to pick up everything about him, focusing on the power of nature. He closed his eyes in concentration. _That smell. The sound. The atmosphere's changing._

Bokomon stared at Agunimon, blinking in surprise. "This doesn't seem like Takuya at all. It's as if he's become different somehow."

Sorcermon stared at Agunimon. _Takuya….what happened to you? I've never seen you so focused and still._

Agunimon remained silent for several moments. "A storm is coming."

"What kind of storm?" Neemon asked nervously.

"I don't know." Bokomon murmured. _I thought Takuya had some sort of plan. He's certainly thought about it long enough, but now I'm not so sure. All this waiting and wondering about the weather. Who cares about the weather? The others are in danger! _Suddenly, there was a flash of light and the booming of thunder, and suddenly the clouds overhead darkened considerably. "Look, there _is _a storm!" Bokomon breathed in realization.

Agunimon closed his eyes. _Wind. _As if by silent command, a small twister formed nearby. The storm's power began to increase, even catching the attention of Ranamon, Mercurymon, and their opponents.

"Well what do ya know? Takuya was right!" Neemon said.

"Yes, but how could he have known?" Bokomon breathed.

_And…a little snow. _Agunimon sensed. "Right now." Seconds later, a flurry began as large and heavy snowflakes came down.

_So this is the power of the Legendary Warriors. _Sorcermon mused, the snow coming as a relief to the ice Majin. _And Takuya has learned to harness it. Amazing._

"Wind and snow, thunder and lightning!" Agunimon called, the storm seeming to respond to him. "Forces of nature, lend us your strength!"

"He's talking to the weather and it's listening!" Bokomon gasped, flinching from the snow.

Agunimon's eyes opened, and he glared in determination. "Now I understand what it means to be a Digimon. I'm ready to accept the responsibility that comes with great power. To truly become Agunimon, Warrior of Flame!" He gave a furious battle cry and charged off, running straight towards his friends.

Sorcermon watched him go, smiling softly. "Not bad….for a human child…"

"Sorcermon, I believe now would be a good opportunity to heal yourself." Bokomon noted.

"Why?" Neemon asked.

"Because he can use the snow to assist his powers of course!" Bokomon snapped.

"Oh!" Neemon nodded.

Sorcermon sighed a little. "I can't." Bokomon and Neemon stared at him in surprise. "Even with the snow to help, using my healing magic will drain me of my energy. I won't be of any use to the others if I'm unconscious."

"You won't be much use to them now with you all beat up." Bokomon countered.

Sorcermon scoffed. "I'll useless either way."

"Oh stop that!" Bokomon shouted, mostly to be heard over the wind. "If you weren't so beat up right now I'd hit over the head with my book! Don't you realize how much you mean to Takuya and the others? Especially Tommy?"

Sorcermon looked away. "I surely don't mean that much to any of them. I protect them so to protect Seraphimon, nothing more nothing less."

"Do you have any idea how worried Tommy must be?" Bokomon asked, his voice coming out softer now. "You probably scared that poor boy to death! And if you break your promise to him, it'll break his heart. Seraphimon wouldn't want you to put yourself down like this or suffer just because you think you deserve it. You owe it to Tommy to at least try. Heal your wounds and you'll only need to sleep for a while to get your strength back. If you want to protect those children, you need to be at least half as strong as you normally are."

The ice Majin looked up to Bokomon and Neemon, staring at them for a moment. "Will you two be all right without my protection?"

"We'll be okay!" Neemon assured.

"Just take care of yourself." Bokomon urged.

Sorcermon sighed softly, but resigned to Bokomon's reasoning. Wincing and gritting his teeth in pain, he forced himself to sit upright and pulled his legs in to sit cross-legged on the ground. His hands trembled, his muscles protesting furiously, but he took another breath and brought his hands to his chest, folding them and closing his eyes in concentration. Bokomon and Neemon watched, in awe, as some of the snow began swirling around Sorcermon. Before their eyes, the scorch marks, dirt, and tears disappeared from Sorcermon's clothing and the bruise on his face faded to nothing, just as the rest of his wounds did as they healed. Within seconds, the ice Majin looked as though he'd never been attacked. But the snow suddenly fell away as Sorcermon began falling, his strength spent. Bokomon and Neemon quickly caught him, gently lowering him to lay back on the ground.

Bokomon smiled, patting Seraphimon's egg. "There. Well done, Sorcermon."

* * *

While Mercurymon enjoyed pounding on Lobomon, he eventually grew a little bored with his opponent's useless efforts to fight him and Ranamon. Plus with the storm coming down fast and hard, he'd rather take dispose of the human children quickly, take their Spirits, and curl up beside a fire. Now if only the last DigiDestined would come…

At a furious shout, Mercurymon turned to see Agunimon charging up towards them, and he smirked as he dropped Lobomon to the ground. "At last, the final player hath arrived."

"Then let's get this show on the road!" Ranamon stepped forward, ready to face Agunimon as he charged into battle.

"_Pyro Darts!" _Agunimon shot several of the flames towards Ranamon, only for them to hit the ground at Ranamon's feet.

"Missed me, missed me! Now you gotta ki—" Ranamon's taunting chant was interrupted by another round of the flames hitting her in the stomach and sending her to the ground.

"Thanks, but no thanks!" Agunimon smirked.

Mercurymon felt his confidence waver. "That little whelp is much stronger than I remember."

Agunimon eyed the platform the Datamon stood on, with his friends' D-Tectors still on it. _"Pyro Tornado!" _The extra wind only increased the fiery tornado's power, forcing Mercurymon and Ranamon to back up. Too late did they realize Agunimon aimed for the platform, destroying the force field and sending the Datamon scurrying away. Agunimon scooped up the D-Tectors, tossing them to their owners. "Now, Lobomon! Free the others!"

Though Lobomon's strength felt depleted, he quickly stood and drew his laser sword. _"Lobo Kendo!" _With a quick slice, he cut through the chains holding his friends and allowed them to catch their D-Tectors.

"All right, guys! It's your turn!" Agunimon urged. Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. nodded, activating the evolutions.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Beetlemon!" _

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kazemon!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Kumamon!"_

The five Legendary Warriors stood to face Mercurymon and Ranamon, ready to fight as the storm raged around everyone.

"Ah, isn't this sweet." Mercurymon sneered. "Together at last. It appears it's time for the final act of our little play."

"I should put on something more appropriate." Ranamon smirked, becoming surrounded in a cocoon of fractal code. _"Ranamon Slide Evolution! Calmaramon!"_

"You don't really think you can win?" Agunimon scoffed. "Haven't you heard? It's not nice to mess with Mother Nature!" The five DigiDestined lunged into battle.

"Let's finish this!" Beetlemon readied his power, feeling as though the storm's lighting and thunder coursed through him. _"Thunder Fist!" _He slammed his fist into the ground, sending the lightning into Calmaramon and thoroughly electrocuting her.

"_Tempest Twist!" _Kazemon too felt the winds obeying her command, giving her attack much more force to send Calmaramon flying.

Mercurymon's demeanor quickly changed to one of fear. "What is going on?!"

"This is for Sorcermon you big bully! _Blizzard Blaster!" _Kumamon fired his gun, the snow swirling around him only amplifying the attack to freeze Mercurymon into place.

"_Lobo Kendo!" _Lobomon swirled his double-bladed weapon, slamming it onto Mercurymon so hard the metal Digimon couldn't reflect it in time. He flew backwards, hitting the ground hard.

"How did y'all get so strong?" Calmaramon demanded, sounding quite fearful.

"We have a stronger ally than you could ever imagine!" Agunimon answered bravely, activating the fire on his wrists.

"Odds bodkins!" Mercurymon gasped. "They're using the forces of nature to amplify their attacks! The master will be displeased."

"Forget the master!" Calmaramon whimpered. "What about us?"

"Will you stop sniveling, woman?!" Mercurymon snapped.

Agunimon pounded his fists together, causing fire to swirl around his arms. "You won't defeat us ever again!" He launched the fire in his fists, sending up flames around his enemies who shouted in terror. They stared in fear as their enemies began advancing towards them.

"Well now what do we do?" Calmaramon demanded.

"Retreat and regroup." Mercurymon said regretfully. Calmaramon gladly obliged, running and sliding down the slope of the mountain to safety. Mercurymon disappeared into his own mirrors before snapping his fingers and disappearing completely. The DigiDestined let out their loudest cheers, soaking in their victory. Soon, the storm began to let up until the air became calm once more. The humans dedigivolved, looking worn out but otherwise fine, much to Takuya's relief.

Takuya looked down a little. "I'm so sorry, you guys. This was all my fault."

"What are you talking about?" Zoe asked, a warm smile on her face. "You're the one who rescued us!"

Takuya looked up now. "But—"

"It's okay, Takuya." Tommy assured. "We were worried about ya, but I knew you'd come through!"

"I guess I really owe you one, Kouji." J.P. told the raven-haired boy, seeing how Kouji managed to come just in time to save J.P. from Ranamon's attack.

"Nah, all of us owe Takuya." Kouji said, looking to said brunette. "You've really changed."

"Yeah. I hardly recognize myself." Takuya admitted. "I don't feel like a kid anymore; I think I finally understand what being a Digimon is all about." He stared at his D-Tector, Agunimon's picture appearing on the screen. Takuya smiled. "We're in for an amazing ride. All of us."

While the others seemed confused by Takuya's revelation, they all smiled and nodded in agreement. Tommy noticed something nearby and walked over to the rubble of the platform the Datamon once stood on, reaching under the rocks and grabbing a metal rod underneath. He pulled out the rod to discover Sorcermon's snowflake-topped staff.

Tommy gasped. "Oh no! Sorcermon! They took him away and we gotta find him!"

Takuya's eyes widened. "Sorcermon! I almost forgot! He's this way!" He led the others back to Bokomon and Neemon, who looked overjoyed to see the others all right.

Tommy immediately went to Sorcermon's side, kneeling beside the Majin and shaking him. "Sorcermon! Sorcermon, are you all right?" Sorcermon didn't answer, and Tommy felt tears building in his eyes. "He's not…"

"He's fine, Tommy." Bokomon assured, and everyone sighed in relief. "Sorcermon used his magic to heal his wounds, but it took the rest of his limited energy to do it. He just needs to sleep for a while to regain his strength."

Sorcermon suddenly moaned a bit, his eyes opening somewhat. He looked towards Tommy and smiled softly. "Tommy….you're all right….."

"We all are." Kouji said, everyone gathering around the Majin.

"Good." Sorcermon sighed heavily in relief. "You had me worried sick."

"Hey, you worried us pretty badly." Zoe noted. "Especially with that snowstorm."

Sorcermon blinked in confusion. "Snowstorm?"

"You were unconscious most of the time we were captured." Tommy explained. "Then Mercurymon grabbed me and threatened to hurt me, and suddenly you woke up and caused a snowstorm to appear. But your eyes were glowing and there were feathers mixed in with the snow. You stopped after a minute, and then you were taken away."

Sorcermon stared off into space. "I…don't remember that at all…..all I remember is Ranamon and Mercurymon beating me…..…then Takuya found me…."

"Ranamon and Mercurymon said it was called the Angel's Blessing." Tommy said.

"Really?" Bokomon asked in awe. Tommy nodded, only making Bokomon seem more excited. "How extraordinary!"

"What's the Angel's Blessing?" Takuya asked.

"It is a gift full of holy power." Bokomon explained. "Very strong and very pure."

"That must be why Duskmon was hurt when you touched him." Kouji realized. "The Angel's Blessing protected you. But for some reason it doesn't work on Ranamon and Mercurymon."

"Maybe it's because Duskmon is the Warrior of Darkness." Zoe suggested. "This Angel's Blessing has got to be why Cherubimon wants you alive."

"But how could it be the Angel's Blessing?" Sorcermon asked, his voice weak. "I've never used it before; at least I can't remember ever using it. Where could I have gotten it? Surely I wasn't born with something like this."

"Usually an Angel's Blessing is only given by Angel Digimon." Bokomon said. "Perhaps Seraphimon gave it to you."

"He couldn't have." Sorcermon shook his head small. "If he or Ophanimon or even Cherubimon gave it to me, they would've said so. They never approached me and gave me the Blessing, and they wouldn't just give it to me without…..telling…." His eyes suddenly slid closed and he slumped against the rock he leaned on.

"Sorcermon!" Tommy cried out.

"It's all right, Tommy." Bokomon assured. "He's just tired is all."

Tommy nodded in understanding, rubbing Sorcermon's staff with his thumb. "As long as he'll be okay."

"He will." Takuya assured, looking into the distance. "And we're all going to go to the Rose Morning Star. _Together._ Nobody gets left behind."

His friends nodded in agreement.


	12. Episode 24

**Episode 24**

_Sorcermon winced in pain, but bit his tongue as Ophanimon continued wrapping his ankle. "I'm afraid you won't be able to walk on that for a while." The angel Digimon said._

"_I'm sorry." Sorcermon muttered sheepishly._

"_What do you mean?" Ophanimon asked. "It certainly wasn't your fault; not every battle nor skirmish can be walked away from without injury."_

"_But it's going to be harder to do my chores now." Sorcermon sighed._

"_Oh don't be ridiculous." Ophanimon scolded gently, helping Sorcermon rise from the chair. "You're going back to your room to lay down for a while."_

_Sorcermon leaned heavily on the crutch Ophanimon handed him. "I can't live here without doing my job."_

"_You did plenty by helping Seraphimon and Cherubimon save that village." Ophanimon assured. "You don't need to push so much; just be yourself."_

"_Being myself is what always got me into trouble." Sorcermon sighed, allowing Ophanimon to guide him through the castle and back to his room. "I never made any friends by being myself."_

"_That's not your fault." Ophanimon said. "Anyone would be lucky to have you for a friend." She looked to Sorcermon with a kind smile. "Don't try and be someone you're not, because you can't please everyone."_

* * *

Sorcermon first became aware of the fact that he seemed to by lying on his stomach, and on something much more comfortable than the ground. He could hear footsteps and the DigiDestined chatting around him, but if they were walking how could he be laying down? Sorcermon moaned a little as he opened his eyes, blinking a few times to get rid of the blurriness. He could see he was clearly moving, but then why did he not feel his muscles working? He shifted his head a little and blinked in realization.

Takuya was carrying him, piggyback style.

Sorcermon gave a startled yelp, causing Takuya to give a similar cry and drop Sorcermon off his back. The ice Majin grunted in pain as he hit the ground, sitting up and rubbing his head. Takuya turned around and offered a hand. "Geez, Sorcermon, what'd you shout like that for?"

"What in the DigiWorld was I doing on your back?" Sorcermon demanded, sounding appalled, as Takuya helped him to his feet.

"I was carrying you." Takuya shrugged, the others gathering around to make sure everyone was okay.

"Why?" Sorcermon asked. "That's completely inappropriate!"

"How?" Tommy asked, handing the Majin his staff.

"It's…it's embarrassing!" Sorcermon said, taking his staff and rubbing it nervously. "You shouldn't have had to do that."

"We have to get to the Rose Morning Star and you were still out cold from healing yourself." Kouji reasoned. "What, were we supposed to just leave you behind?"

"Well….." Sorcermon stared at the ground. "You could've…"

"Don't be silly." Zoe said with a smile. "Nobody gets left behind in this group, especially not you. We knew we had to get going and we didn't really have time to wait for you to wake up. So we carried you. No big deal."

"Well don't do it again." Sorcermon ordered. "Please…"

"Okay, we won't." Tommy agreed.

"Next stop: the Rose Morning Star!" J.P. called. "I'm the leader! Follow me, everybody!" He began marching off, leaving the others with no choice but to follow with amused smiles. Tommy stayed near Sorcermon, to make sure he would be all right, but the Majin assured that he was fine and could walk on his own. The group continued on, walking across the rocky landscape with J.P. more or less in the lead. The Rose Morning Star shone in the clouds, giving the look of being rather close when they all knew they still had quite a ways to go. Nonetheless, they all marched on, most of them suppressing laughter at J.P.'s marching song.

"Who elected him?" Takuya joked. "Not exactly inspirational as a leader."

"It looks like he's just showing off to me." Zoe noted.

"What if we don't want to see what he's showing?" Kouji jabbed.

"I want a turn being the leader!" Tommy piped up excitedly.

"I don't know, leadership takes independence." Takuya teased lightly. "You ready for that?"

"Hey, J.P. depends on chocolate and that didn't stop him!" Tommy laughed.

"He's got a point there." Zoe giggled.

"Well I guess it's settled then." Takuya said half-seriously. "You're the next leader, Tommy. I sure hope your marching song is better than the dorky one he's got."

J.P. rolled his eyes. "Oh, so funny." Everyone laughed again, continuing to walk.

Takuya glanced back at Sorcermon, who remained silent for several minutes now. He slowed his pace to walk beside the ice Majin, making sure the others didn't hear them. "Hey Sorcermon?"

Sorcermon jumped a little, clearly deep in thought, and looked to Takuya. "Yes?"

"Listen, when I disappeared, I somehow ended up back in my world and in my hometown." Takuya whispered. "I still don't know how. But while I was there, this little glowing spirit ball seemed to follow me. Then, it transformed to look like you." He stared at Sorcermon. "Care to explain that?"

Sorcermon stared at Takuya for a moment before averting his gaze straight ahead. "That is a story for another day." He replied cryptically. Takuya wasn't sure he liked that answer, but didn't press it any further.

The sound of cracking rocks split through the silent air, and suddenly the pathway divided to separate Bokomon and Neemon from the ground. Winds and smoke burst from the cracks in the stone, almost sending the DigiDestined and Sorcermon to the ground. A twister suddenly erupted from the earth, carrying the six of them off the ground and into the air as they shouted in surprise.

* * *

It was dark only for a moment before they were all dropped in a pile on the ground, dazed and groaning in pain.

Zoe fought the pain in her back before she realized someone had his arms around her legs. "Do you mind?! Get off me!" She snapped at J.P., her cheeks turning red.

J.P. instantly snapped out of his daze. "Sorry about that, Zoe."

"I really am getting tired of falling all the time." Takuya groaned. They stood up, looking around at where they landed to discover a long tunnel made of red walls and some sort of greenish-brown rock lining the corners.

"I don't know how we got here, but it looks like we're trapped." Kouji deduced.

"Are you serious? There's gotta be a way out." Takuya looked around, but didn't even see where they came in much less where they could get out. He knelt beside some of the greenish rocks and put a hand on it. "Feels kinda spongy. This isn't normal rock."

"Hey guys, does anyone else notice that we're missing someone?" J.P. noted.

"What happened to Sorcermon?" Zoe asked worriedly. Everyone looked, but the ice Majin was nowhere in sight despite coming in the same way they did.

"Aw man, this isn't good." Takuya moaned. "Sorcermon! Sorcermon, where are you?"

"Sorcermon!" Tommy called down the tunnel.

J.P. walked around the corner, searching for the Majin, only to find the pathway blocked by a large eyeball with a red iris and black pupil. "Dead end…" Suddenly, he felt a push from behind and stumbled forward, somehow going _through _the eyeball and disappearing.

Takuya looked up. "Zoe, where's J.P.?"

"I saw him go that way." Zoe said, pointing down where J.P. disappeared to. But the boy seemed to have disappeared completely, with no trace of him anywhere.

"Come on, J.P., we can't be missing two of our team members." Takuya murmured. "J.P.! Where are you?"

* * *

J.P. stumbled a bit before catching his balance again, whipping around and glaring. "All right, who's the punk who pushed me?" But he blinked and gasped in surprise to find he didn't stand in the tunnel anymore, but in a wide, rocky landscape. "This isn't what the inside of an eye looked like in science class." J.P. gulped. But he began walking, looking around for his friends. "Guys? Takuya? Kouji! Zoe? Tommy, can you hear me? Sorcermon, you in here?" Not a single response came. "Hey, what the heck happened to everybody?"

"It's just you and me, now."

J.P. jumped at the new voice as it laughed maliciously. He frowned. "Very funny! Who are you?" He jumped when a small volcano erupted nearby, revealing a cyborg-like Digimon with a microphone in hand a small volcano spout on his back. The Digimon, Volcamon, laughed as he jumped down towards J.P., barely missing his head with his fist as the boy jumped aside. "Hey, what's your beef with me?" J.P. whimpered.

"You invaded my space." Volcamon said simply. "I don't have any friends, just like you."

"What?" J.P. squeaked, backing up a little as Volcamon marched towards him.

"I enjoy being alone." Volcamon said. "And you actually think you've got friends."

J.P. glared, standing hurriedly. "You don't even know me!"

"I know you better than you know yourself, J.P.!" Volcamon growled.

"What do you mean?" J.P. demanded, growing more and more confused as he backed away from Volcamon.

"One of your so-called _friends _pushed you through the portal to this place." Volcamon said. "They wanted to get rid of you!" J.P.'s eyes widened, and though he wanted to protest he couldn't help but think back to what the others said about him when he tried to take the leader position. They were making fun of him; but they didn't mean it in a cruel way, right? "Looks like little Tommy's gonna get his turn after all." Volcamon sneered, stepping closer to J.P. "You're conceited and selfish. Nobody wants you around, J.P.! That's why they sent you here! You know it's true, don't you? Why fight it? Why don't you let me put you out of your misery?"

J.P. glared again. "You're a liar! My friends have never felt that way! You're the one who's miserable!" He pulled out his D-Tector, activating it.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Beetlemon!"_

Volcamon seemed undeterred. "You're just a waste of space to everybody!" He lunged forward, locking hands with Beetlemon and grappling for control. "You're only kidding yourself, little man! You're all by yourself, here!"

"I'm getting real tired of you!" Beetlemon shoved Volcamon back, gathering lightning in his hands. _"Thunder Fist!" _He slammed the attack down, but Volcamon held up an arm to block it.

"Life just stinks, don't it?" Volcamon taunted. "But I'll take care of that for ya. _Magma Bass!" _He shouted into his microphone, sending sound waves towards Beetlemon. The Warrior of Thunder grunted in pain, clutching his head.

"My head!" Beetlemon screamed. "Stop it! Please!"

* * *

Sorcermon shouted in surprise and then yelped in pain as he face planted into the ground, groaning from the impact. "Well…that hurt….." He pushed himself to his feet, looking around at where he ended up. It looked like a tunnel, save for the flesh-looking walls and spongy rocks the lined them. Then Sorcermon realized with a start that the DigiDestined were nowhere in sight. "Tommy? Takuya! Zoe! Kouji! J.P.! Anybody?!"

No one responded.

Sorcermon groaned. "You must be joking. Can we not go a week or two without something disastrous happening?

"_Leave me alone!"_

Sorcermon jumped, looking around almost frantically. "J.P.? J.P., where are you?" He could hear J.P. shouting, and he took off down the tunnel.

"_Sorcermon!"_

Sorcermon skidded to a halt. "Tommy?"

"_Sorcermon, help me!"_

"Tommy, where are you?" Sorcermon called. "Help me find you!"

"_Sorcermon, help me!"_

Sorcermon jumped when an eyeball suddenly appeared in the wall beside him, Tommy's distressed cries echoing from it. The Majin stared down the tunnel, where J.P.'s shouts came. Sorcermon looked back and forth from the tunnel to the eyeball, weighing his options. Then, he closed his eyes and focused his energy. He felt a jolt, like static shock, and he opened his eyes and nodded in satisfaction.

"Don't worry, J.P. Help is on the way." Sorcermon assured. He jumped towards the eyeball. "Hang on, Tommy! I'm coming!" As he expected, he pushed through the eye/portal to the other side, landing on the ground and the portal closing behind him. He scanned the area for Tommy, but saw only darkness all around. "Tommy! Tommy, I'm here! Where are you?"

"Right here."

Sorcermon jumped and whipped around at Tommy's voice, but instead saw a familiar enemy. "Mercury—" He gasped as Mercurymon suddenly grabbed him by the throat, hoisting him up into the air.

Mercurymon chuckled darkly. "You foolish Majin. Your compassion makes you weak, just like it did for your precious Seraphimon."

Sorcermon glared, hatred flaring in his heart at Mercurymon's taunts. "You're the weak one."

Mercurymon sneered, suddenly throwing Sorcermon aside. The Majin hit the ground hard, but stood quickly to face the enemy. "I'll commend thee for thy bravery, but twill do you no good. Lord Cherubimon may wish thee alive, but that doesn't mean we can't have a little sport, hmm?"

"Bite me." Sorcermon hissed.

"Ooh, a temperamental one, are we?" Mercurymon laughed. "I like it. Such darkness in your heart." He smirked sinisterly. "Let us see how much I can make you scream."

He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Sorcermon became enveloped in darkness.

* * *

Takuya gasped softly, perking up a little. "Takuya, what's the matter?" Tommy asked.

"You hear something?" Zoe asked.

"No." Takuya said. "More like a feeling. J.P.'s in trouble."

"How do you know?" Kouji asked.

"Is it because of that floating ball next to your head?" Tommy asked, pointing to said ball. Everyone looked to see a sphere next to Takuya, glowing in a ghostly golden like.

"Sparky!" Takuya breathed.

"Sparky?" his friends repeated, confused.

"Hey, we've each got one!" Zoe realized, and it soon became evident that a "Sparky" floated near all of them, pushing against the DigiDestined and towards the eyeball. "I think they want us to go towards the eyeball."

Then, slabs of rock came tumbling down from the ceiling, forcing the kids and their spheres of light to scatter to avoid them. Zoe's back hit the wall, but she jumped away when two arms sprouted from the wall and began reaching for her. The four DigiDestined gathered in the center of the tunnel, staring at the arms reaching from the walls, floor, and ceiling.

"Go away, slimy!" Tommy yelped, kicking at the arm reaching towards him. "Back!" One of the Sparky's lunged down, swatting the arm away from Tommy.

Another arm shot out, narrowly missing the boys while accidentally grabbing Zoe's butt. She suddenly lifted up a stone slab and slammed it down. "Back off, buster!" But she realized too late that she actually hit Takuya's head. "Oops. Sorry Takuya."

Tommy ducked as two more arms shot towards him, and suddenly the four Sparky's leaped into action. They smacked away the arms, keeping the slimy appendages away from the DigiDestined, and then swirled around the four children, protecting them from any more arms reaching out to grab them. "Come on!" Takuya urged, taking out his D-Tector. His friends followed suit.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution!"_

"_Agunimon!"_

"_Lobomon!"_

"_Kazemon!"_

"_Kumamon!"_

"_Pyro Punch!" _Agunimon blasted some of the arms to dust.

"_Lobo Kendo!" _Lobomon sliced several of the arms and some of the stone slabs in the process.

"_Hurricane Wave!" _Kazemon's attack sent the arms and slabs flying.

"_Crystal Freeze!" _Kumamon managed to freeze the last of them, ridding the group of any more danger.

"These things probably attacked J.P. too." Agunimon realized.

"But where is he now?" Kazemon asked. She and everyone else jumped a little when the Sparky's began darting around again. Three of the spheres settled into a triangle formation, pointing towards the eyeball, while the fourth one pushed each of the Legendary Warriors forward.

"The eyeball." Agunimon guessed. "I think Sparky and his friends are leading us to J.P. My guess is that the eyeball is some sort of portal and he's on the other side."

"Then let's go!" Kazemon urged.

* * *

Beetlemon thought it was bad enough dealing with Volcamon preying on his fears. But it only got worse after he defeated the cyborg Digimon. A voice called out in the air, taunting him, reminding him of his worst nightmare that always seemed to come back to him.

"I'm not beat yet!" He shouted. He lunged for every rock his shadow rested on, destroying the stone but not the voice.

"_Missed me." _The voice taunted. _"Just like you missed your chance to have real friends."_

Beetlemon destroyed another rock spire. "You're wrong!"

"_Am I?" _the voice asked.

Beetlemon paused. "I don't know anymore. Maybe he's right. Maybe I've been fooling myself this whole time. Living my life like some twisted, sugar-coated nightmare. Is it possible that you guys are just part of my self-inflicted bad dream?" He clenched his fists, shouting to the sky. "Somebody please wake me up!"

Beetlemon jumped at a flash of light, stumbling back a little and preparing to attack. But rather than another enemy, he found a glowing sphere floating before him. He blinked a few times, staring at the sphere. "Um….hello?"

The sphere only floated there.

"Who are you?" Beetlemon asked. "_What_ are you?" He jumped when the sphere suddenly pressed itself to his arm, as though a dog wanting attention. Beetlemon chuckled. "You're a cute little guy. What are you doing here all by yourself?"

Still, the sphere didn't respond.

The ground began shaking and breaking until a large platform rose from the ground, taking Beetlemon and the light with it. "What now?" Beetlemon groaned, watching as the platform raised higher and higher until it finally stopped and a coliseum formed all around him. Lines that looked like lasers connected the spires around the platform, creating what looked like a wrestling ring. "You better get out of here, little guy." Beetlemon warned. "This is gonna get ugly."

A cruel laughter rang out, and Beetlemon whipped around to see his shadow stretching out before him. A figure rose from the shadow, revealing to be another Beetlemon colored in numerous shades of grey. "Hiya, handsome."

"There you are." Beetlemon growled. "Nice of you to show up."

"I've been here all the time." The darker Beetlemon said. "I've always been with you. I've never left your side."

Beetlemon glared at his darker twin. "You're wrong about me. Takuya, Zoe, Tommy, even Kouji taught me how to be a real friend."

"But have you chosen to be?" the dark Beetlemon mused, snapping his fingers. Rocks rose from the seats in the coliseum, morphing and changing until a crowd of Takuya, Zoe, Kouji, and Tommy clones surrounded Beetlemon. They began shouting at Beetlemon, their hurtful words cutting into his mind like knives.

"You're no friend of mine, J.P.! You're a fake!"

"I never liked you and I never will!"

"You're just a big bully and a coward!"

"You're busted! The game's over."

"This isn't real." Beetlemon insisted. "This is just part of my bad dream. Come on, wake up!" But the voices continued, assaulting his ears and starting to give him a headache…and a heartache. Beetlemon squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the noise, but opened them again when he heard a cry of pain. Staring in shock, he could see the glowing sphere attacking the dark Beetlemon, ramming into him and buzzing about his head.

"Get out of here you little pest!" the dark Beetlemon snarled, backhanding the sphere and sending it flying. The sphere crashed against a stone spire and disappeared in thin air.

_No! _"Enough!" He glared at his dark twin. "Let's settle this once and for all. You and me!"

"Oh, _now _you want to fight." Dark Beetlemon sneered. "But I am you. Your past, your present, and your future. What do you hope to gain?"

"My life back for starters." Beetlemon retorted. "If I can defeat the old me, I can rebuild a new one!"

"Sounds like fun." Dark Beetlemon mused. "Bring it on, tough guy!"

Beetlemon lunged, but the darker Digimon jumped aside just in time and rammed into him, almost plowing Beetlemon to the ground. Beetlemon summoned a Thunder Fist, slamming the attack against his darker twin's head. But Dark Beetlemon hardly seemed fazed, jumping away once more.

"Sorry, Big Blue." Dark Beetlemon laughed. "But that attack is useless on me. I am your shadow, remember? Equal and opposite. Well, actually, you've made me stronger. By the way, if you destroy me, you destroy yourself!"

"I don't care!" Beetlemon shouted, lunging for the evil shadow once more.

But Dark Beetlemon leaped into the air. _"Proton Slam!" _He collided with Beetlemon, blasting him with his own attack, and the Warrior of Thunder screamed in pain. He stumbled backwards, clutching his now-smoking chest while the clones of his friends around him began chanting "No more mercy!" He cried out in pain again as he felt a shock of electrocution. Beetlemon fell to his knees, dedigivolving back to J.P.

"Don't you hear them out there, J.P.?" Dark Beetlemon mocked as he advanced towards the wounded boy. "How could you have ever thought that they were your friends? The truth hurts."

J.P. grit his teeth in pain, glaring at Dark Beetlemon. _No….it's not true…_

"But in a few moments I will free you from your pain." The shadow growled. "Permanently."

J.P. dared himself to look back at the hundreds of Takuya's, Kouji's, Zoe's, and Tommy's shouting all those terrible things at him. It was hard to believe his friends could say such things. But….these didn't sound like his friends. Not just in the words they spoke but the way their voices sounded. "Those aren't my friends! They're a bunch of fakes! I believe in my friends and they believe in me! And there's nothing you could ever do to change that!"

"Then where are they?" Dark Beetlemon demanded. "Don't you think they'd be here if they cared about you?"

J.P. wouldn't be deterred. "You must've done something to them. They'll be here! And you can't stop that!" Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the glowing sphere from before appeared beside J.P.

"What?" Dark Beetlemon gasped.

"J.P.!"

J.P. looked up, finally noticing the clones went silent, and he smiled at the sight of the true Takuya, Zoe, Tommy, and Kouji standing at the top of the coliseum. "Hey! About time!" His smile grew, and he felt as though a great weight flew off his shoulders. "They came. Told ya they're my friends."

"They probably just want something from you." Dark Beetlemon protested. "Whatever. I'll dispatch them as soon as I'm finished with you."

Instantly, anger and hatred flared up in J.P.'s chest, and he glared furiously at Dark Beetlemon. "Dispatch this, Shadow Boy!"

"_Execute Beast Spirit Evolution! MetalKabuterimon!"_

Dark Beetlemon seemed surprised, but undeterred by the presence of the Beast Digimon. "Impressive. But you forget: anything you can do, I can do better. _Slide Evolution!_" In a flash, Dark Beetlemon became a dark version of MetalKabuterimon. _"Bolo Thunder!"_

MetalKabuterimon took the blast with only a flinch of pain, growling like an animal. He leaned down, putting some of his weight on his machine gun hands, and aimed the gun barrel on his head towards Dark MetalKabuterimon.

"What, are you nuts?" Dark MetalKabuterimon demanded, sounding almost fearful now. "You blow that thing at this range, we're both gonna go down!"

"I don't care." MetalKabuterimon snarled. "It's a risk I'm willing to take to save my friends from you! _Electron Cannon!_" The blast fired, forcing the other DigiDestined to flinch and shield their eyes from the bright light and the kicked-up dust. When the light died, the coliseum disappeared with the clones and the dark version of MetalKabuterimon. The DigiDestined hurried towards the center of the now-destroyed coliseum, quickening their pace at the sight of J.P. lying face down on the ground.

"J.P.!" Takuya cried, the others echoing his worried call. "Speak to me!"

J.P. groaned and pushed himself upright, smiling goofily. "Did Kouji just call me 'Jeep'? Hey, you really are my friends."

"Of course, you bonehead!" Takuya laughed.

"Yeah, but don't tell anybody, all right?" Kouji smirked.

"I was worried about you, J.P.!" Tommy said with a smile.

"I'm just happy you're all right." Zoe sighed.

"You mean that?" J.P. asked hopefully.

"Sure." Zoe nodded.

J.P. looked down. "I'm sorry. I doubted our friendship. It was terrible; I felt like nobody cared about me."

"Of course we care about you." Zoe assured.

J.P. allowed a smile to return as Takuya helped him up. "Thanks. I'll never doubt our friendship again. You guys are like family to me. You're the best friends I ever had. Thanks for coming. But how did you guys find me?"

"It was weird." Tommy explained. "These glowing lights appeared out of nowhere and led us right to you!"

J.P. jumped a little when the glowing light from before appeared again. "You mean this little guy?" He blinked. "Hey, he's got friends." They all looked to discover one of the floating, glowing spheres hung over each of their heads, shining there for a moment before disappearing.

"What are those things?" Kouji wondered aloud. "And where'd they go?"

"I think they're protecting us." Takuya said, causing everyone to look to him. "I know it sounds weird, but I've seen those little spirits before. And remember how they protected us in the tunnel? I think that whatever they are, they're here to protect us."

"But where did they come from?" Zoe asked.

"I'm not sure." Takuya admitted. "But they seem to pop up when we need them most, so let's just be glad we have some backup."

"I'll be happier when we're out of here." J.P. said. "Let's find Sorcermon. Hopefully he's doing better than I was."

Suddenly, three snake-like hands and arms shot from the floor, startling the children. "Not again!" Zoe groaned, the five of them scattering to avoid the appendages. Then, eye portals opened up in various places. Zoe slipped through one that opened under her feet; a hand shoved Takuya into one; another pushed J.P. through a different portal; one hand punched Kouji into a fourth portal; Tommy tried to run from the hand, stopped when a portal opened before him, but felt the hand shove him through anyway.

When the kids each landed on the other sides of the portals, they each found themselves in different landscapes: Tommy in a land of volcanoes, Kouji in a forest, Zoe in a woodland area near a lake, J.P. in a dense forest area, and Takuya in another rocky landscape. They had no idea where they were or what was going on, but one terrifying thing was for sure.

They were fully separated.


	13. Episode 25 26

**A/N: So I decided to combine the next two episodes to just show Sorcermon's trials and fight in his own sphere. I probably botched Mercurymon's Shakespearean speak, but I did my best! Enjoy!**

**By the way, major angst ahead.**

* * *

**Episode 25 &amp;26 aka Sorcermon in the Darkness Sphere**

Mercurymon snapped his fingers, and suddenly Sorcermon became enveloped in darkness.

He flinched at first, but when he opened his eyes Sorcermon saw he stood in a landscape of darkness. The ground was smooth like a tile floor, the ceiling looking more like an inky black sky with purple-black clouds. It was eerily quiet. "What did you do? Mercurymon! Show yourself!"

"Ooh, well aren't you feisty."

Sorcermon spun around to see Ranamon appeared behind him. "How did you get in here?"

"Look at you, acting so brave. But it's only an act. Nothing more." Ranamon laughed.

Sorcermon growled a little, lunging forward and swinging his wand. But he hit only air as Ranamon suddenly disappeared. "What? That's not possible!"

"What's the matter? Still too weak, right?"

Sorcermon turned and stared in surprise at Arbormon. "No. You're dead! Duskmon killed you!"

Arbormon didn't seem to hear. "Puny little Majin. Weak little weakling." He laughed as though he just heard a good joke, only infuriating Sorcermon more. But when he attacked Arbormon, he once again only hit air.

"Teeny tiny Digimon! Always fail!"

Grumblemon appeared next, smirking darkly. Sorcermon didn't bother lunging, but rather threw a Crystal Barrage that still missed Grumblemon. "How is this possible? Why are you all here?!"

"To make sure thou knowst thy place."

As if things weren't bad enough, now Mercurymon showed up, standing several feet in front of the Majin. "I already know my place and where I belong!" Sorcermon shouted. "What would you know anyway?"

"Much more than thou thinks." Mercurymon sneered. "Doth thou not remember who you are? A puny, pathetic waste of fractal code compiled into the most worthless Digimon on the face of the Digital World."

Sorcermon glared, then smirked. "Is that your weapon, now? Using words to break down your enemies? Is that how you think you'll beat the Legendary Warriors? They may be children, but they're wise beyond their years."

"Do not forget to whom you speak!" Mercurymon snapped. "I, too, am a Legendary Warrior."

Sorcermon scoffed. "Not a very good one. You're a disgrace to the legend of those Warriors."

Mercurymon growled angrily, then smirked. "Look who's using words as weapons now. Not that it matters. Thy powers have always been weak." Sorcermon glared, keeping a firm grip on his staff. Mercurymon chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry. I thought words had no effect on thee. Perhaps I should use a more…._physical _method." He suddenly lunged forward, moving in for a punch only for Sorcermon to duck away just in time. He remained standing as Mercurymon turned to him again, ready to fight.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon launched the shards.

"Hast thou learned nothing?" Mercurymon laughed, holding up a mirror to absorb the shards. _"Dark Reflection!" _He send the shards back through the other mirror.

Sorcermon narrowed his eyes, summoning water from his staff to create an icy barrier between him and the shards. The shards destroyed the barrier, but caused no harm to him. "Yes. I actually learned quite a bit."

Mercurymon laughed darkly. "It changes nothing. Thou art still weak. Just as you always were."

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean?" Sorcermon demanded.

"Oh come now." Mercurymon said in a sing-song voice. "Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?"

Sorcermon wanted to snap at him again, but suddenly the scenery changed to become a forest area. The ice Majin looked around, his nerves reaching their breaking points as he waiting for Mercurymon to attack. But nothing came, and he began wandering around the woods for a moment. "What form of trickery is this? Is this his way of giving him an advantage?" He paused at the sight of a form up ahead, and he warily stepped closer towards it. The form couldn't be identified, save for its purple color, small size, and tail. It appeared to be some sort of Digimon by Sorcermon's guess. "Are you all right?"

The figure didn't answer, but after a moment began to rise as he moaned painfully. The figure turned out to be an Impmon….with Sorcermon's icy blue eyes.

Sorcermon's eyes widened and he jumped back, staring at the Impmon. "That's….me!"

* * *

Tommy, J.P., Bokomon, and Neemon cheered happily when Zoe appeared out of Sakkakumon, carried by her new friends the Honeybeemon. The bee Digimon bid Zoe farewell once they realized she was in safe hands, happily singing her praises for winning against Ranamon as they left.

"So I guess the others are still inside that thing, huh?" Zoe guessed, looking to Sakkakumon.

"Only Takuya, Kouji, and Sorcermon left." J.P. nodded.

"They'll get out!" Tommy assured. "If we can, they can too!"

* * *

It can't be possible. But I can't deny it. That really is me.

_Impmon struggled to rise, only for a whip to smack him back to the ground. He trembled, staring weakly up at his assailants. "Please…just leave me alone…."_

"_Aw, already tired of our play?" a Myotismon sneered._

"_I was tired of it when you first started tormenting me!" Impmon snapped, coughing a bit. "What did I ever do to you?"_

"_It's a Digimon-Eat-Digimon world, kid." A DemiDevimon laughed as he hovered beside Myotismon. "Think of this as our way of making you tougher or die trying!"_

"_But _I'm _the one who might die!" Impmon cried._

_Myotismon smirked darkly. "Exactly. _Crimson Lightning!_" Impmon whimpered and grunted weakly as the strikes continued to come, every blow taking away more of his limited energy. He could feel his muscles seizing up and then going numb, preventing him from rising. Darkness crept into his vision, but he long since gave up. He prayed for a quick death, but he knew Myotismon would not be so kind. DemiDevimon's claws raked across his back and head, but he didn't have the strength to voice his pain anymore. Finally, his eyes slid closed and he rested his head on the ground in resignation._

_But instead of another strike, there came the sound of a cry of effort followed by Myotismon's and DemiDevimon's startled shouts. "Don't kill us!" DemiDevimon pleaded._

"_Run for it, you twit!" Myotismon shouted, followed by his hurried footsteps._

"_Don't let me catch you doing something like that again!" a deep, growling voice shouted._

_Impmon forced his eyes to open, but that one effort used up the miniscule amount of energy he had left. Just before he blacked out, he noticed a shadowy figure kneeling down towards him._

_His sense of touch returned first, and he realized he rested on something much softer than the forest floor. Someone placed a cool and wet cloth on his forehead, and he gathered his strength to open his eyes again. He could only get his eyelids halfway up, but it was just enough to see a beautiful angel Digimon before his eyes with blonde hair, golden wings, and teal armor including a helmet that covered the top half of her face. She smiled warmly as she knelt beside the bed he rested on._

"_Hello, little one." The angel greeted._

_Impmon blinked slowly. "O-Ophanimon?" Was it possible? Was he really in the company of a guardian to the Digital World?_

_Ophanimon still smiled. "Welcome to our home, young Digimon."_

_Impmon suddenly came to the startling realization: he truly was in the home of the Celestial Digimon, who guarded the Digital World since the war's end. He sat up hurriedly, only to let out a strangled scream of pain and fall back onto the bed. Ophanimon jumped, patting Impmon's forehead with the cloth and murmuring soothing words._

"_I…shouldn't…..be here…" Impmon said, his voice strained and weak. "I….have no…right…."_

_Ophanimon shushed him gently. "It's all right. You don't need to worry about anything. We brought you here to help you."_

"_But….." Impmon gasped softly, realizing it hurt even just to breathe or speak._

"_Do I have to order you to lay down and relax?" Ophanimon asked half-seriously, chuckling softly._

_Seraphimon and Cherubimon suddenly entered the room, looking startled. "We heard a scream. Is he all right?" Cherubimon asked._

"_He will be." Ophanimon nodded, still focusing on Impmon. "If he'll promise to do as we say."_

"_I don't…..want to be…a burden…" Impmon murmured, fatigue taking over._

_Cherubimon smiled. "Would it help if I said you shouldn't be here long? The fact that you lived through that battle shows you are quite strong."_

"_It doesn't matter how long he stays." Ophanimon assured, smiling warmly. "We will take care of him."_

* * *

"You always were a burden to them." Mercurymon sneered. Sorcermon stared at the ground, the memory now refreshed in his mind. "How couldst thou think any different?"

"You think I don't know that?" Sorcermon snapped, glaring at Mercurymon. "I realize I have no worth in this world; I really _don't _need you to remind me."

"I'm not reminding thee of thy lack of worth." Mercurymon said. "On the contrary, thou doth hold _some _worth." Sorcermon narrowed his eyes, his glare now suspicious. "If it weren't for thee, Cherubimon wouldn't have risen to power so quickly."

"That's not true." Sorcermon growled, holding his wand ready.

"You're the one who couldn't prevent Seraphimon's death." Mercurymon said snidely.

Angered, Sorcermon lunged for Mercurymon, swinging his staff to hit the Warrior of Steel's head. Mercurymon disappeared in a flash, and Sorcermon only hit air. "_You're _the one who killed him!" the ice Majin shouted into the open air.

"You're the one who promised to protect him and failed." Ranamon laughed as she appeared. Sorcermon lunged for her, but a cloud suddenly appeared above him and rain poured down, the attack draining Sorcermon of his strength. He leaned on his staff, fighting to remain standing.

"Then you go makin' promises ya can't keep." Arbormon appeared out of thin air, swinging a leg around. His foot connected with Sorcermon's face and sent him sprawling on the ground.

"You say you protect kids, but you failed! Duskmon almost smash them!" Grumblemon came last, swinging his hammer down. Sorcermon rolled away just as the blunt weapon hit the ground where his head once rested. He quickly stood, only to find his opponents disappeared again.

"This is just an illusion." Sorcermon murmured. "It's not real. None of this is real."

"Not completely true." Mercurymon's voice echoed through the air. "Thy memories are quite real. Every single one of them."

Sorcermon suddenly found his surroundings changed, and he stood back in Seraphimon's castle.

_Impmon leaned heavily on the crutch Ophanimon gave him. The angel Digimon walked beside him as they journeyed down the hall, testing the young Digimon's strength after spending two weeks in the castle. Suddenly, Impmon felt his knees buckle and he almost hit the ground had Ophanimon not knelt down to catch him in time._

"_I'm sorry." Impmon murmured._

"_Whatever for?" Ophanimon asked._

"_For never being strong." Impmon replied in a soft voice._

The darkness returned, and Sorcermon found he began trembling. "My past means nothing. It only reminds me of who I am."

"Really? You seem to forget!" Grumblemon suddenly appeared, swinging his hammer as though it were a baseball bat. It slammed into Sorcermon, sending him tumbling across the floor.

"You are a constant failure to everyone around you, shugah." Ranamon came next, summoning water as though from thin air and slamming the wave into Sorcermon. The ice Majin quickly shut his mouth as the water formed into a sphere with him inside, holding him above the ground. Sorcermon felt the currents inside the sphere toss him around, forcing precious air out of his lungs. Just when he throat began to burn, the water bubble popped and sent him to the floor. He coughed, spitting water from his mouth.

"Ya can't protect no one. What good are ya?" Arbormon suddenly grabbed Sorcermon by the collar and pulled a fist back, landing it into the Majin's jaw and sending him flying backwards. Sorcermon groaned in pain, fighting to rise. But a foot suddenly stomped down on his back and forced him back to the ground.

"Thou art of no use to anyone, little whelp." Mercurymon chuckled darkly. Sorcermon's pained grunts replaced any retorts he had in mind, and Mercurymon suddenly wrapped a hand around his throat and lifted him to eye-level. "Thou wouldst be better off dead."

Sorcermon glared, his staff fallen from his grip as he clawed at Mercurymon's fingers. "Then…..why don't you kill me?"

Mercurymon smirked. "Oh I will. But not before a little sport."

* * *

Everyone outside of Sakkakumon waited anxiously for any signs of their friends. Bokomon and Neemon reported that sometimes they would see shadows or flashes of visions from the orbs, giving them glimpses of their friends while they fought. But several tense minutes passed and none of them saw anything.

"You think they're doing all right?" J.P. asked.

"With what we experienced, I wouldn't think so." Zoe admitted. "But remember: we can handle anything that's thrown our way."

"That's right." Tommy agreed.

"It's great that you have such faith in one another, but I think we'd all feel better if we were all together and not in that beastly Digimon." Bokomon noted, rubbing Seraphimon's egg nervously. He could feel something in the egg shifting constantly, as though Seraphimon were greatly troubled by something. _What could ever be the matter? _Bokomon wondered.

Tommy scanned the orbs of Sakkakumon that continued to glow. "Come on, guys. Where are you?"

"Keep faith, Tommy." Zoe reminded him.

"But we haven't seen anyone in ages!" J.P. moaned. "What if they never come out? What if they're hurt? What if they're dead?!"

"J.P., now is not the time to panic!" Bokomon snapped.

Neemon's eyes widened and he gulped. "Um, how about now?" He pointed up towards an orb with a star-like shape, and everyone followed his gaze to see what he could be worried about. Two shadows appeared in the light of the orb, unidentifiable until a light flickered to reveal their forms.

"It's Sorcermon!" Tommy gasped. "And Mercurymon!"

"Oh no!" Bokomon cried as three more figures appeared in the orb. "It looks like Mercurymon has summoned shadows of the other Warriors!"

"They're attacking Sorcermon!" Zoe realized. "We gotta help him!"

"How?" J.P. asked desperately. "Do we even know a way back in? And do we _really _want to go back into that crazy place?"

"We have to do _something!_" Zoe protested.

"I don't think we can." Bokomon gulped. "I'm afraid Sorcermon is on his own."

"Against Mercurymon?" Neemon yelped. "Alone?!"

Tommy's fists clenched, but he glared in determination. "Come on, Sorcermon! I know you can do it! I believe in you!"

"We all do!" Zoe called. "You can win!"

"Beat that Metal Head into next week!" J.P. chimed in.

* * *

Sorcermon fought back the shouts of pain, but he found he often couldn't stop them every time one of the evil Legendary Warriors landed a blow. For shadows, they tended to cause quite a bit of pain. Every time the ice Majin tried to rise, another blow came and beat him back. He didn't know what was worse, the beatings or the constant taunts thrown at him with every blow. He hadn't felt such emotional or physical pain since his time as a Rookie Digimon, constantly tormented by other Digimon like that Myotismon and DemiDevimon. Mercurymon stopped forcing him to go through his flashbacks, but he wished he could lose himself in his memories; they would be less torturous than this.

Sorcermon shouted in agony as another blow from Mercurymon sent him to the ground. "You weak, insignificant fool." Mercurymon laughed. "Thou art nothing! Thou art just a pile of wasted fractal code waiting to be scanned!"

"Really, the state of the Digital World is your fault." Ranamon said.

"You no good protector!" Grumblemon laughed.

"You couldn't save Seraphimon, right." Arbormon scoffed.

"Thou couldn't even save Ophanimon from her entrapment." Mercurymon laughed, smirking down at Sorcermon as the Majin remained kneeling on the floor. "Should you not have at least _tried _to save her?"

Sorcermon gasped softly, remembering that fateful day.

* * *

_Sorcermon pushed the double doors open and dropped to one knee, and habitual instinct he developed every time he greeted his masters. "Lady Ophanimon! Lord Seraphimon! An army is coming!"_

_The two Angels whipped around to the Majin. "An army?" Seraphimon repeated._

"_They'll be at the castle gates any minute now." Sorcermon reported. "Cherubimon is leading them!"_

_At this, the Angels tensed up and suddenly rushed past Sorcermon to investigate. The Majin moved to follow, but Seraphimon held up a hand to stop him. "You remain here, Sorcermon, where it is safe." He left before Sorcermon could reply, but the Majin secretly had no problem staying where he was. His heart still raced from the moment he spied the swarm of Beast Digimon charging towards the castle, looking ready to tear apart the entire forest in the wake of their destruction. Sorcermon's curiosity spiked, and he wondered what Ophanimon and Seraphimon would do against Cherubimon. What was going on now? Did the Human Digimon of the forest come to their aid? Had a great battle begun? Why was Cherubimon suddenly like this? How had he gone from a lovable, benevolent guardian to that hideous monster Sorcermon witnessed? The sight of Cherubimon's darkened form alone was bound to give him nightmares; now that he thought about it, he wasn't sure he wanted to go investigate after all._

_After a few tense minutes, Sorcermon suddenly heard the sounds of fighting go completely silent. _Has the battle been won already? _He wondered. He waited for several more minutes before soft footsteps echoed down the hallway, and Ophanimon appeared. Seraphimon's still form floated beside her, the tip of her spear glowing to indicate the source of the levitation. Sorcermon hurried to his mistress's side._

"_Lady Ophanimon, what's happened?" Sorcermon asked worriedly._

_Ophanimon was silent for a moment. "Come with me, Sorcermon. I have special instructions for you."_

_Sorcermon followed the angel Digimon into the throne room, staring worriedly at Seraphimon. "Is….is he—?"_

"_Rest assured, Sorcermon, he is still alive." Ophanimon said. "But he is very weak. Cherubimon attacked him."_

_Sorcermon's eyes widened. "Cherubimon? But why? Why is he doing this?"_

"_I'm afraid Cherubimon has been corrupted by darkness." Ophanimon said, stopping in the middle of the throne room. That statement alone made Sorcermon go silent. He watched in awe as Ophanimon began muttering a spell under her breath, and Seraphimon's body floated up to the ceiling of the room. Crystal appeared around the angel Digimon in a gem shape, keeping him to the ceiling. Ophanimon sighed heavily, from exhaustion and sadness._

_Sorcermon stared at Seraphimon for a moment before looking to Ophanimon. "Milady?"_

_Ophanimon looked to Sorcermon and knelt down to be more at his eye-level. "Sorcermon, listen very closely to me." She made sure Sorcermon looked her in the eyes (or at least he assumed so, given her helmet). "You must stay here and guard the castle. The time of peace in the Digital World has ended for now, but someday a group of wayward humans will come and free Seraphimon so to save the Digital World from destruction. Until that time comes, you _must _stay here and keep Seraphimon safe. Do you understand?"_

"_I understand, milady." Sorcermon nodded. "You have my word: I will protect this castle, Seraphimon, and you with my life."_

_Ophanimon looked down. "I will not be here for you to protect."_

_Sorcermon blinked. "What?"_

"_In exchange for sparing Seraphimon's life, I agreed to become Cherubimon's prisoner." Ophanimon explained. "He has left now, but will return to fetch me soon."_

"_What? No, you can't do this!" Sorcermon pleaded. "You have no idea what Cherubimon will do to you!"_

"_If it protects Seraphimon and keeps the hope of the Digital World's saving alive, then I will do it." Ophanimon said firmly._

"_I cannot allow you to do this!" Sorcermon said, his voice taking on a desperate tone. "Let me go with Cherubimon; he can do what he wants with me."_

"_No!" Ophanimon suddenly gripped Sorcermon's shoulders in her hands. "I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."_

"_I am not as important as the guardians of the Digital World!" Sorcermon protested. "I would gladly offer my life in exchange for your safety!"_

"_But I will not allow it." Ophanimon said firmly. "You _must _stay here and protect Seraphimon."_

"_Lady Ophanimon…" Sorcermon felt a lump in his throat, but he swallowed it back. "Please. Don't do this."_

_Ophanimon suddenly pulled the Majin in a tight embrace, making him jump. The angel Digimon slowly pulled away, placing a hand on his cheek. "My dear Sorcermon. You are brave and kind and so strong. Never forget that. This is a very important job that I can only entrust to you. Do you understand? You're Seraphimon's last hope. You're _our_ last hope."_

_Sorcermon stared at Ophanimon, feeling tears come to his eyes. He looked down, embarrassed, but Ophanimon guided his eyes back up towards her as she wiped a stray tear from his face. Sorcermon took a breath, shuddering a bit. "I promise. I will do what you ask, my lady."_

_Ophanimon smiled warmly. "Thank you, Sorcermon."_

* * *

_Why didn't I return her embrace? How is it I never knew just how important I was to her? _Sorcermon felt Mercurymon's foot hit his face, and he hit the ground once more. Oddly enough, he didn't notice the pain this time. _But why? Why give _me _such an important job? _He paused. "Because she trusted me….." he muttered.

"What's that?" Mercurymon asked with a snide smirk. "Finally come to realize the truth?"

Sorcermon noticed his staff nearby and weakly pulled himself over to it, grabbing the metal rod in his hand. The evil Legendary Warriors laughed, as though watching Sorcermon's pained attempts to move were greatly entertaining. Sorcermon leaned on his staff, pushing himself upright and turning to face Mercurymon.

"Ready for more, shugah?" Ranamon laughed. Sorcermon didn't answer.

"Art thou not afraid?" Mercurymon demanded.

Sorcermon still didn't answer for another moment. "No. I'm not. Not anymore." Mercurymon paused. "Don't get me wrong; I was terrified before. But…someone once taught me that in order to be brave, you have to be scared first."

Mercurymon huffed. "Oh wonderful, a philosophy lesson."

"You know, I _have _realized the truth." Sorcermon's voice came out stronger now. "It was never my fault that these things happened. I didn't cause Cherubimon's corruption; I tried to help Ophanimon when she gave herself up; I wasn't the reason Seraphimon died." He glared at Mercurymon, hateful fire in his eyes. "That was _you. _You killed Seraphimon, and I'm always going to remember that because never again will I blame myself for what happened back at the castle."

"That changes nothing." Mercurymon growled. "Thou art still worthless!" He motioned to the other Warriors, who lunged for Sorcermon. By some miracle of newfound strength, Sorcermon leaped up and the three evil Warriors crashed into each other.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon launched the shards, destroying the shadows of the warriors and allowing him to land in the spot they previously occupied. He stumbled a bit, but remained strong as he faced Mercurymon, who didn't seem so confident anymore. _"I am not worthless!" _Sorcermon shouted, his voice echoing throughout the area. "I _do _hold some value in this world, and that value is found in the DigiDestined….in my _friends._" He smiled softly. "Because they _are _my friends, and I've been a fool trying to think otherwise. They saved my life because they wanted to, not because they thought they had to." He locked a glare onto Mercurymon, holding his staff ready. "I'm not a hero; I'm not going to be the one to save the Digital World. That's they're job. And I'm going to stand beside them and make sure they succeed no matter what it takes!"

Much to Mercurymon's shock, Sorcermon's eyes started glowing in a pure white light. A whirlwind appeared around him and Mercurymon, sparkling white feathers and snow mixed in with the wind. A pair of white, feathered wings appeared on Sorcermon's back, and a golden halo with black rings around it circled around his hat. Sorcermon ran forward, right towards Mercurymon as the Warrior of Steel stood there in fear. Shouting in effort, Sorcermon jumped up and raised a fist, his glove glowing like his eyes. He planted his fist into Mercurymon's face, destroying the Digimon in a single blow. But the sight of Mercurymon turning to dust instead of fractal code revealed it to be only another shadow. Still, the sight of Mercurymon disintegrating was satisfying enough for Sorcermon, the ice Majin landing perfectly on his feet as the Angel's Blessing deactivated. The whirlwind, wings, halo, and glowing eyes disappeared to leave only a Majin with a glare in his eyes and new strength in his heart.

"The next time we meet, Mercurymon, I'll be ready for you." Sorcermon assured.

Two eye-shaped portals appeared before Sorcermon. Peering through one, he could see an image of Tommy before the screen seemed to zoom out to reveal Zoe and J.P., standing with Bokomon and Neemon outside. "They're safe. Good." Sorcermon sighed in relief. Then, he heard Takuya's voice coming from the other eye portal.

"_Guys! Sorcermon! Kouji! Tommy, Zoe, J.P.! Where are you?"_

"So Kouji's still in here too." Sorcermon murmured. "As well as Takuya." He looked back and forth between the two portals for only a moment before making his decision. He turned towards the portal to outside, raising his voice in hopes of being heard. "Tommy! Tommy, please hear me. I'm all right; I survived, and now I know Mercurymon's tricks. I'm going to find Takuya and Kouji and bring them out. Stay with the others until we get there! Don't worry. We'll be out soon. Stay safe, everyone!" He prayed they heard him, and he smiled when Tommy perked up and seemed to stare directly at him. "See you soon." Sorcermon whispered, jumping through the other portal. He found himself back in the tunnels, but he continued to run. "I'm coming, Takuya, Kouji! Just hold on until I get there!"

_And thank you, Ophanimon. Thank you for never giving up on me._

* * *

Tommy smiled warmly. "He's okay. I could hear him; he won against Mercurymon's shadow."

"So it wasn't just my imagination." Zoe sighed. "I really did hear Sorcermon's voice."

"At least Taki and Kouji have some backup." J.P. said thankfully. "And maybe Sorcermon can use that angel thing again."

"The Angel's Blessing?" Zoe clarified. "Yeah, that's some pretty powerful stuff."

"I've been thinking." Tommy piped up. "Where do you think Sorcermon got the Blessing? He said Seraphimon wouldn't have given it to him without telling."

"Seraphimon isn't the only one who could give the Angels' Blessing." Bokomon explained, looking through his book. "Ophanimon and Cherubimon also aren't the only ones; the Angel's Blessing is a power granted by any angel-type Digimon. The power of the Blessing depends on the power of the angel who gives it. It's possible Sorcermon received the Blessing from another angel-type Digimon."

"Whoever gave it to him, we owe them big time." J.P. said. "That power is giving us the advantage, Sorcermon especially."

"You think he'll be able to activate it and control it again?" Zoe asked.

"It appears Sorcermon has only recently tapped into the Blessing's power." Bokomon guessed. "Right now, the power reacts to his emotions. It may take a while and a bit of practice to bring it forth on a whim."

"As long as it protects him, that's fine with us." Tommy assured, smiling broadly. _Just get out of there safely, Sorcermon. That's all we need._


	14. Episode 27

**Episode 27**

_MANY YEARS AGO, POST-DIGIMON WAR_

All was quiet in the land near the Forest Terminal. Of course, save for the occasional rogue Digimon, the entire Digital World seemed to be tranquil. The battle between Lucemon and the Ten Legendary Warriors ended five years ago, and the three Celestial Digimon had achieved peace once more.

In the castle of said Celestial Digimon, Sorcermon slept soundly and peacefully. A year had passed since his decision to stay with the Ophanimon, Cherubimon, and Seraphimon, and he found he rather enjoyed living with them. For the first time in his life, his skills and general personality were welcomed by other Digimon. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he also liked that he was able to sleep in a bed rather than in some of the uncomfortable places he used to find.

Sorcermon was so deep in his slumber he did not hear his bedroom door opening, allowing his masters and mistress to silently sneak into the room. The three angel Digimon stood beside the Majin, staring down at him for a moment before sharing looks and nodding. Murmuring enchanted words under their breaths, the three Celestial Digimon began to glow in soft, golden lights. They held out their hands, and each glowing aura conformed into a circle of light in their palms.

"To give you light when there is darkness." Ophanimon breathed, holding up her circle.

"To guide you when you are lost." Cherubimon mimicked her actions.

"To give you strength when you are weak." Seraphimon finished, also copying his companions.

"We bless you with this power." Ophanimon completed the spell, causing the three circles of light to join together in a trinity shape before floating down and disappearing within Sorcermon. The ice Majin shifted a little, but remained asleep. The Celestial Digimon gave a quiet, collective sigh before slipping out of the room, returning to their chambers.

"Is it truly wise to do this in secret?" Seraphimon asked. "Does he not deserve to know the immense power we have granted him?"

"You know how he is, Seraphimon." Cherubimon reminded his companion. "He would never have accepted it, even if it is meant to guide him when times are darkest." He looked to Ophanimon. "I only wonder if he will be ready when the time comes."

"He will have to be." Ophanimon replied. "My vision foretold of Sorcermon playing a vital role in the survival of the Digital World. Our power combined was needed to create such a powerful Blessing."

"This darkness and time of danger you foresaw, can it be stopped?" Seraphimon asked.

"It is possible." Ophanimon replied cryptically. "But we do not know what will cause this darkness, so how can we?"

"Then we shall prepare for what will come." Cherubimon said assuredly. "And fight back as we promised we would. Did your vision tell of when this time of darkness would come?"

Ophanimon shook her head. "It could be in a few months, it could be in several decades. We will know when it comes."

"Are we sure Sorcermon is suited for this responsibility?" Seraphimon asked, sounding worried. "I mean, is it wise to put so much weight on the young one's shoulders? If something were to happen to him…"

"We will continue his training to better prepare him." Cherubimon assured. "I have no doubt that he will succeed when the time comes."

"He will be fine." Ophanimon assured. "It's the only way peace can come to the Digital World and stay. Whether he's ready for it or not, Sorcermon may be our only hope."

* * *

_PRESENT DAY_

"I believe I just saw Kouji up there!" Bokomon announced.

"I believe in Santa Claus, but I know I saw Kouji." Neemon added.

"He's in the same sphere Sorcermon was in." Tommy realized.

"Aw man, if only Sorcermon had stayed in there a little longer." J.P. groaned.

"Let's get up there." Zoe encouraged. "They might need our help." J.P. nodded in agreement.

"I'm ready." Tommy assured. The three of them pulled out their D-Tectors, activating the evolutions.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution!"_

"_Kazemon!"_

"_Beetlemon!"_

"_Kumamon!"_

Beetlemon and Kazemon took off into the air, Beetlemon carrying Kumamon, while Bokomon and Neemon cheered them on. "Hang in there, Kouji!" Kazemon called. "We're coming!"

"Brace yourself for impact!" Beetlemon warned as they came closer to the orb Kouji disappeared into. But when they hit the orb, it seemed as though they slammed into an electrified net that completely blocked their entry into the orb. In fact, they suddenly fell back and plummeted back to the ground, dedigivolving on the way and hitting the stone hard. Bokomon and Neemon hurried over to them, looking concerned.

"I believe we need to rethink this." Bokomon noted as the three DigiDestined groaned painfully.

Neemon's eyes widened. "I believe in flying Duskmon!" Everyone looked up to Sakkakumon just in time to see Duskmon shoot up towards the sphere Kouji rested in, somehow pushing through the barrier and getting inside.

"He made it in!" Tommy gasped.

"Unfortunately, Taki, Kouji, and Sorcermon don't know that. We've gotta warn them!"

"No kidding. But how are we supposed to do that?" Tommy asked. "It's not like we can just pick up a phone and call them!"

Zoe looked down, staring at her D-Tector still in her hand. "I wonder….maybe we _can._ Maybe there's a way to use the D-Tector to contact them." She stood, pressing the buttons on her Digivice in hopes of getting a reaction. But apart from some beeping, nothing more happened. _I wish this thing came with instructions!_

* * *

Takuya looked all around the tunnel, continuing to call for his friends and keeping an eye out for any danger. "Kouji! Zoe? J.P.? Tommy! Sorcermon!" But his only response was a slight echo from the chamber. "Aw man, where is everybody? I wish I could talk to them." He blinked in surprise at a strange sound, and soon discovered it was his D-Tector. "There's something new." He pulled out the device and gasped softly in surprise to see the symbol for the Warrior of Wind appeared on the screen.

"_Takuya! Can you hear me?"_

"I can't believe it. Zoe, is that you?" Takuya asked incredulously.

"_No way!" _Zoe's happy voice came from the D-Tector. _"I mean, yeah! Ten-four, copy that loud and clear good buddy!"_

Takuya laughed. "Where'd you learn to talk like that? Wait, never mind. Where are you? Are you alone too?"

"_I'm outside with J.P., Tommy, Bokomon, and Neemon." _Zoe reported. _"But listen: you're in danger, Takuya. You're inside Sakkakumon."_

"Sakkaku-what?" Takuya blinked in confusion.

"_Sakkakumon!" _Bokomon's voice called. _"Mercurymon Beast Spirit Evolved into a hideous creature and you, young man, are deep inside it!"_

Takuya took a look at the flesh-like walls surrounding him. "That explains the smell."

"_This isn't funny!" _J.P.'s voice came in from the background. _"We gotta get him out!"_

"_Sakkakumon is a multi-dimensional being, so please stay alert." _Bokomon informed Takuya. _"Portals to the outside sometimes appear once you've won a battle."_

"_Yeah, we all managed to escape." _Tommy explained. _"But now that we're outside it seems like it's impossible to get back in there to help you, Kouji, and Sorcermon."_

"So Sorcermon really is in here? And Kouji's not out yet?" Takuya groaned. "Man. Well, have you contacted Kouji or Sorcermon?"

"_No, but we're about to." _Zoe said. In the background, Takuya could hear Tommy and J.P. trying to reach Kouji on their D-Tectors. _"We won't be able to reach Sorcermon, but he _was _able to send us a message a while ago."_

"Good." Takuya nodded. "At least we know he's alive. What did he say? Why isn't he out there with you?"

"_He won his battle and he told us he was all right." _Zoe replied. _"But he's still in there to look for you and Kouji and help you escape. We haven't seen him in any of the other orbs, so keep your eye out for him."_

"Will do." Takuya nodded.

"_Duskmon just went inside. I think he's after Kouji. Please be careful." _Zoe requested.

"Thanks." Takuya said, him and Zoe hanging up. He stuffed his D-Tector into his pocket before taking off again, straight towards another eye portal. "Hang on, Kouji! I'm on my way!"

* * *

Sorcermon looked all around him as he walked through the tunnels, holding his wand ready should anything attack him. But nothing came, only putting him more on edge. "Takuya! Kouji! Where are you?" Only a brief echo replied, and Sorcermon sighed. He relaxed his stance, continuing to walk. "This is ridiculous. Where could they have gone? Could this place be really so huge?"

Suddenly, the ground began shaking and sparks of electricity shot around the room. Sorcermon jumped, but as quickly as they came the shakes and sparks stopped. His nerves rattled once more, the ice Majin readied his staff again. But as he stood there for several seconds, he found nothing came. He continued walking, his pace quickening. "I have to find them. We shouldn't stay in here for much longer or—"

Without warning, a sharp pain erupted in Sorcermon's head, as though someone drove a nail into his brain. Dropping his staff and clutching his skull, he shouted in agony as he desperately willed the pain to go away. Before his eyes, he could see visions he didn't understand: a picture of a young woman with raven hair and a kind smile, Duskmon shouting in pain, what looked like a flower shop in the human world, Kouji's reflection in a glass door—

Sorcermon froze, the pain seeming to subside. "Kouji…" He took up his staff and started running. "Kouji! Kouji, where are you?!" _Please be alive. Please let him still be alive. If Duskmon got him…_ Sorcermon shook his head. "No. Don't think about that. Just find him." Finally, he found an eye portal ahead and picked up speed. "Hold on, Kouji! I'm coming!" But when he leaped through, he found himself in a vast, snowy landscape. The portal closed behind him, and the pain in his head left. "Would he really be in here? If he's in that much trouble and if Duskmon found him, I doubt it. I have to get to him somehow." The Majin thought for a moment before closing his eyes in concentration. After a moment, he nodded in satisfaction and hurried off. "The sooner I get out of here, the better. Let's see what kind of tricks Mercurymon has in store this time."

* * *

Takuya had expected to find himself at least a little closer to Kouji or Sorcermon when he jumped through that portal, not land in a vast, snowy landscape. At this point, he didn't have any idea about anything in this Sakkakumon character.

"Am I still stuck in Sakkakumon?" Takuya groaned. "Man, why can't anything make sense, even in the Digital World?" He started walking, looking around for any signs of his friends. He wasn't sure if he wanted to shout, given he was attacked every time he entered a new sphere. But as he continued to march through the snow, he continued to get a sinking feeling that something or someone was nearby. In fact, he could hear another set of footsteps crunching through the snow. His hand moved to the pocket where he held his D-Tector, ready to whip it out and Spirit Evolve when necessary. _Just stay calm, Takuya. _The boy thought. _There's nothing you can't handle. You're the Warrior of Flame, and you're not about to get caught off—_

Takuya felt his back hit someone else's.

He and the "someone" spun around with surprised shouts.

_WHACK!_

"_OUCH!" _Takuya clutched his nose, now throbbing from getting hit.

Sorcermon winced, looking sheepish while still holding his staff up from using it. "Ooh. Sorry, Takuya."

Takuya groaned painfully, rubbing his sore—but thankfully not bleeding—nose and glaring at Sorcermon in irritation. "If I wasn't so happy to see you alive, I'd really give you an earful."

Sorcermon put his staff behind his back, as though to hide it, and gave a nervous chuckle. "Well, I can say I'm very happy to see you alive as well."

Takuya smiled now. "The guys managed to get in contact with me. It looks like you, Kouji, and I are the only ones left Sakkakumon."

"I know. After I won my fight, I was able to see the others and let them know what happened." Sorcermon nodded. He blinked in surprise. "Wait, left in what?"

"Sakkakumon." Takuya explained. "Apparently we were sucked up into the Beast Warrior of Steel."

"In hindsight, we should've expected Mercurymon to be behind all this." Sorcermon sighed. "Any idea how to get out?"

"Well, portals appear every time we win a battle, so I guess we'll just have to fight our way out." Takuya shrugged. "A portal to the outside is bound to open sooner or later if the others could get out all right."

Sorcermon nodded as the two of them began walking. "If we're supposed to fight our way out, who do you think we'll have to fight in here? I had to fight against shadows of our enemies."

"Well, I had to fight a Parrotmon before." Takuya said. "I think Mercurymon captured some Digimon and put them under a spell or something to control them. But if we beat them, I can purify their data."

"Sounds like a plan." Sorcermon agreed. The two of them went silent for a while. "Takuya?"

The brunette looked to Sorcermon. "Yeah?"

Sorcermon stared at the ground. "Back at that building….when I shouted at you and Kouji after your fight…you know, when I said I questioned putting faith in you…"

Takuya blinked in surprise, noticing how Sorcermon kept his hat tilted over his eyes. "It's okay, Sorcermon."

"No, it's not." Sorcermon said. "I shouldn't doubt you and the others. You're the Legendary Warriors, destined to save the Digital World. I've witnessed your strength; and I've seen your transformation."

Takuya smiled. "Hey, don't worry about it. For a while, I lost faith in myself. But I'm not going to do that again. So let's just forget that whole argument happened, okay? Because frankly, you're _really _scary when you're angry."

Sorcermon chuckled. "You know, Seraphimon told me that a couple times. And here I thought he was only joking." He paused, then glared in the direction behind them.

Takuya stared at the Majin. "Sorcer—"

"_Frozen Fury!"_

"Look out!" Sorcermon suddenly grabbed Takuya and pulled him aside just as a blast of ice hit the ground where they once stood.

"That's what I call a cold reception." Takuya gulped. He and Sorcermon turned to the source of the attack, locking their eyes onto a humanoid, snow-white lion standing on a nearby ridge. "Uh, who is that?" Takuya asked nervously.

"IceLeomon." Sorcermon explained. "Mean, proud, and will put you in an icicle quicker than you can say 'snowstorm.'"

"Great." Takuya groaned.

IceLeomon glared down at the two newcomers. _"Frozen Fury!" _He punched down towards them, sending a white blast of energy in the shape of a lion head. Sorcermon jumped forward to intercept the blow, knocking it aside with his staff before landing perfectly on his feet.

"You might want to Spirit Evolve, Takuya." Sorcermon advised. "This could get ugly."

Takuya glared determinedly. "We don't have time to play with this nasty kitty. Kouji needs our help, and we won't let you stand in our way!" He whipped out his D-Tector, activating a ring of fractal code around his hand.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Agunimon!"_

Agunimon leaped into battle, lunging straight for IceLeomon. But the snowy Digimon knocked him aside to another ridge adjacent to him. Agunimon managed to flip and land on his feet, turning to face IceLeomon. Sorcermon ran straight up the cliff side, swinging his staff towards his opponent. IceLeomon dodged the strike, kicking Sorcermon aside and sending him towards Agunimon. Sorcermon landed on his feet again, digging his heels into the snow to stop his fall.

"He's changed." Agunimon realized. "It looks like he's under the spell of Sakkakumon."

"Brilliant." Sorcermon droned.

* * *

Kouji didn't know what to expect when he arrived in the dark landscape. He caught a glimpse of Sorcermon as he jumped through another portal, but couldn't stop him before the Majin disappeared. So he wandered around for a bit, keeping an eye out for trouble. Unfortunately, he didn't see Duskmon coming until the dark Digimon voiced his presence and then grabbing Kouji by the collar of his shirt. Then, to Kouji's surprise, Duskmon began to look through his memories: getting flowers for his stepmom and arguing with his father about his birth mother. For some reason, it seemed to cause Duskmon pain just as it did for Kouji; not physically, but emotionally.

_Why is he doing this? I don't understand! _Kouji wondered. Suddenly, Duskmon released him and he hit the ground. Staring up at Duskmon, Kouji blinked in surprise to see Duskmon holding his head and shouting in pain. Kouji cringed at the heart-wrenching sound, actually beginning to feel pity for him. _Duskmon. Is there more to you than we thought?_

"_Duskmon. You hesitate."_

Kouji blinked in surprise at the voice, and he noticed tendrils of dark energy, like smoke, swirling around to form a shadowy figure that could only be Cherubimon.

"_You alone possess the Spirit of Darkness." _Cherubimon told the dark Digimon. _"To realize its full power, mercy cannot exist. Remove this obstacle at once!"_

Kouji jumped to his feet. "That's not what you really want, Duskmon!"

"_Ignore him! Listen to the darkness in your heart!" _Cherubimon ordered. _"Destroy this human, and fulfill your destiny!" _Suddenly, a flash of light shot through the Cherubimon shadow and he disappeared. Kouji jumped a little as Sparky circled back around and came to settle beside him. But though the glowing sphere managed to send Cherubimon away, Duskmon stopped screaming and settled a glare onto Kouji.

"I _will _cover this world in darkness!" Duskmon declared.

Kouji glared at the dark Digimon. "I can't let that happen!"

"_Execute Spirit Evolution! Lobomon!"_

"_Lobo Kendo!" _Lobomon drew his light saber, lunging towards Duskmon and bringing the sword down. Duskmon summoned his own swords, blocking the attack.

* * *

Outside, Duskmon's and Lobomon's forms flashed briefly in the sphere they battled in. "Get him, Lobomon!" J.P. shouted encouragingly.

"Take that creep apart!" Zoe chimed in.

Tommy looked to the sphere next to Lobomon's, gasping in surprise to see Agunimon and Sorcermon's forms flicker along with a lion they seemed to be battling. "Come on, Agunimon! Go Sorcermon! Hang in there!" The spheres glowed, the lights seeming to fade in and out as the battles continued.

"Oh, he's struggling." Bokomon noted.

"Who? Agunimon, Lobomon, or Sorcermon?" Neemon asked. "They're all fighting!"

"None of them." Bokomon gulped a little. "I'm actually referring to Seraphimon's egg."

Everyone whipped around and shouted in surprise to see Seraphimon's egg shaking and shifting in Bokomon's haramaki.

* * *

Agunimon and Sorcermon stared at IceLeomon, not entirely sure they wanted to fight him considering he probably didn't know what he was doing. IceLeomon only glared at them, growling a bit.

"I know you don't really want to fight us!" Agunimon called. "You're being controlled!"

"Your feeble plea for mercy won't work!" IceLeomon snarled.

"So much for that." Sorcermon sighed, readying his staff. Agunimon mentally sighed, realizing the only way he and Sorcermon got out of here was to fight and win. He and IceLeomon leaped towards each other.

"_Pyro Punch!"_

"_Blizzard Breath!"_

The two attacks met halfway, creating a cloud of steam and forcing the opponents to miss each other completely. Sorcermon spotted IceLeomon and jumped into the air, bringing his staff down onto the icy lion's head like a Whack-A-Mole and sending him to the ground. The ice Majin and Agunimon hit the sides of the cliffs, sliding down towards IceLeomon again.

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Sorcermon launched the ice shards, only for IceLeomon to leap away just in time to avoid them.

"You think you can fight me in _my _element?" IceLeomon laughed.

"Don't underestimate me!" Sorcermon growled, lunging for the lion Digimon. He swung his staff, but IceLeomon blocked the strike with his sword.

"Hey kitty!" Agunimon shouted, summoning fire from his bracelets. _"Pyro Darts!" _Sorcermon jumped back as the fire attacks came, but IceLeomon managed to block those blows as well. _"Pyro Tornado!" _IceLeomon didn't look deterred by the fiery twister, but he didn't realize until the last second that the tornado was more of a cover so Agunimon could throw a powerful spinning back kick. But Agunimon's foot hit steel as IceLeomon held up his sword. IceLeomon suddenly grabbed Agunimon's foot and threw him aside, the fire Majin face planting into the snow.

"_Ice Illusion!" _Sorcermon began bending the swirling snow to his will, creating a twister of snowflakes around IceLeomon. The lion growled, trying to swat the snowflakes away. Using the small storm as a cover, Sorcermon lunged and planted his foot into IceLeomon's face. He jumped back just as quickly, preventing IceLeomon from attacking. He came again and again, punching, kicking, and slamming his staff into the lion Digimon. IceLeomon snarled in pain and frustration, realizing he couldn't see his opponent coming. Finally, the storm disappeared and he managed to catch sight of Sorcermon standing before him.

"You will pay for that!" IceLeomon growled. _"Frozen—" _He couldn't even finish the attack as Agunimon came down from above, striking a flaming foot across IceLeomon's face. The icy Digimon shouted in pain, his fractal code appearing around him.

"Let's bring you in from the cold. Fractal code, digitize!" Agunimon summoned his D-Tector, scanning IceLeomon's data and causing him to disappear.

"Well done, Agunimon." Sorcermon complimented, approaching the Legendary Warrior.

"Well done, yourself!" Agunimon laughed. "Those were some mad kung fu skills!"

Sorcermon's head tilted as he gave a look of confusion. "What is…..kung fu?"

Agunimon laughed again. "Never mind." He and Sorcermon turned as two eye portals appeared. Agunimon looked through one and noticed the Continent of Darkness. "It's the outside! I'm outta here!"

"You go ahead." Sorcermon urged. "I'm going to find Kouji."

Agunimon paused, remembering how Tommy told him it was almost impossible to get back inside Sakkakumon once left. "Kouji. That's right! I have to go after him."

"No, _you _have to get out of here." Sorcermon said. "You have your chance to leave, now go."

"But Sorcermon—"

"I'm not going to argue with you about this. Just go!"

"Wait!" Agunimon moved to stop Sorcermon from leaving, but suddenly slipped on a patch of ice and ended up slamming into the ice Majin, sending them both through the portal to the tunnels inside Sakkakumon. They landed face first onto the ground, the portal closing behind them.

Sorcermon huffed, blowing his bangs from his eyes. "With all due respect, Lord Agunimon, you're quite a klutz in the snow."

"Well that's what you get when you put a fire Digimon in Alaska." Agunimon shrugged, the two of them standing. "You really should've left while you had the chance. This is dangerous."

"Precisely why I'm staying with you while we're in here." Sorcermon snapped. "And, more importantly, I can take care of myself. Let's just get Kouji and get out of here."

Agunimon didn't like the idea, but he couldn't send Sorcermon back now and he certainly wasn't going to just leave him here. "All right. Let's go!" The two of them took off down the tunnels, praying they reached Kouji before something bad happened.

* * *

Lobomon found he held his own pretty well against Duskmon this time. What gave him this new strength, he had no idea. But while it helped him not get beat down so easily, he still didn't have enough strength to fully defeat Duskmon. Even Sparky tried to help, ramming into Duskmon in an attempt to distract him, but it only served to annoy Duskmon more than anything else. Lobomon desperately tried everything in his power to take Duskmon down, but the darker Digimon seemed to match his strength with ease. Finally, he Slide Evolved to KendoGarurumon, thinking he could take Duskmon down that way. But as the two clashed with their strongest attacks, KendoGarurumon felt Duskmon's power overwhelm him and he suddenly dedigivolved, screaming in pain. When the attacks settled, Duskmon stepped back and Kouji fell to his knees, putting his hands to the ground to support himself.

"You are weak." Duskmon sneered. He growled in pain when Sparky suddenly slammed into his head. "You little pest!" He swung his sword wildly, trying to keep Sparky away from him as the glowing ball whizzed about his head like a hyperactive firefly. Kouji weakly raised his head to stare in surprise at the ghostly sphere.

_That thing…this Sparky, as Takuya calls it…where did it even come from? And why does it want to protect us? _Kouji wondered.

Suddenly, Duskmon managed to calm down enough to swing his sword and slice Spark in half. Kouji gasped, watching in despair as the ghostly ball flickered and then disappeared. The raven-haired boy's head dropped in defeat, his arms trembling to support his body weight.

Duskmon turned to Kouji. "Anything else you'd like to try?"

Kouji stared at the ground, specifically his D-Tector. "Got to do something. I know it's not supposed to end like this." Right? It couldn't just end. Ophanimon wouldn't have called him here just to die. "I can't let Duskmon win. I just can't. Not yet."

Duskmon narrowed his eyes, raising one of his swords. "It's time to say goodbye. Any final thoughts?"

Kouji wasn't sure he actually heard Duskmon. His mind wandered back to his memories. "I'm sorry, Dad. It hurt so much when Mom died. I guess I'm not over it."

_Well can you at least _try _to be nice to her for my sake?_

His stepmom. She wasn't that bad. She…..just didn't seem as great as the mother he lost.

"I tried to do it." Kouji assured, mostly to himself. "I'll go back for those flowers. It's not their fault."

Duskmon should've been wondering why he didn't strike down this boy already. But he was too focused on the pain Kouji's words began to cause him. "No…stop it!"

_I'll do it. _Kouji promised. _I'll tell her I'm sorry, and I'll give her those flowers and I'll actually call her 'Mom.' She deserves it._

"Enough!" Duskmon brought the sword down.

"_I'm sorry!" _Kouji screamed.

Duskmon's sword barely touched the boy's bandana when a flash of golden light caught his attention. At first, he believed the glowing ball returned. But this light came from the sky/ceiling area of the room, the stream of light shooting down into Kouji's D-Tector.

"What was that?" Duskmon gasped, staring at the bright light glowing from Kouji's D-Tector. "What is this hideous force of light?!" Suddenly, something hit his face, and he stumbled back a bit. Looking up, Duskmon saw that this time it really was Sparky, the glowing ball buzzing about his head as though it were scolding the dark Digimon for slicing it in half. Duskmon swung his swords, but Sparky suddenly disappeared in a flash.

"_Execute Fusion Evolution! Beowolfmon!"_

* * *

"Kouji!" Agunimon called.

"Kouji! Where are you?" Sorcermon shouted. They continued running, desperate to reach their friend.

"Where could he be?" Agunimon groaned worriedly. "You'd think we would reach a portal by now!"

"We will. We have to!" Sorcermon assured. "Kouji!"

"Come on, Kouji, answer us!" Agunimon pleaded. But only their echoes responded to them.

_He's got to be all right. _Sorcermon prayed. _Please, please, Kouji. Just be all right. _But there was a feeling of dread in his chest; something was happening to the boy, he just knew it. Sorcermon's grip tightened on his staff and he picked up speed. "Kouji! Kou—"

Suddenly, a blast of pain erupted in Sorcermon's chest, shocking him so much he tripped over his own feet and tumbled to the ground. Agunimon skidded to a halt, hurrying back to Sorcermon. "Hey, what's wrong?" His eyes widened a little at the sight of Sorcermon writhing a little in pain, clutching his chest where his heart lay. The pain was like a hot poker being stabbed into his flesh, and he grit his teeth in an attempt to fight against it. Then, within seconds, the pain disappeared and Sorcermon found himself gasping a bit.

"What happened?" Agunimon asked, watching Sorcermon shakily push himself to his feet.

Sorcermon didn't answer for a moment. _Kouji…he's in trouble….we have to get to him! _He finally seemed to notice Agunimon staring at him. "I'm fine. I think I'm just a little wounded from the battles. Come on, we have to get to Kouji!" He took off running down the tunnel, forcing Agunimon to follow.

_He's lying. _Agunimon determined as they sprinted down the pathway. _He's gotta be; that's what he does when he doesn't want us to worry about him. But what could've caused that? Can he sense Kouji nearby? Does he feel the same pain Kouji feels? If he can, we definitely have to hurry!_

"There!" Sorcermon's voice suddenly brought Agunimon from his thoughts, and he looked ahead to see an eye portal. The two of them picked up speed, jumping through the portal to a landscape filled with darkness. They heard shouts of surprise and looked up to see two figures flying through the air. One was clearly Duskmon; the other was a human-like figure in white armor that could only be Kouji. But another eye portal suddenly appeared and the two warriors flew out, disappearing.

"We're too late!" Agunimon cried. "Kouji, no!"

Sorcermon looked around, finally realizing they stood in the same landscape where the shadows attacked him with his memories. "Agunimon, we can't stay here."

"Can't you see we have a problem here?!" Agunimon shouted.

"We're going to have a bigger problem if we don't leave now!" Sorcermon shouted back. He noticed another eye portal and grabbed Agunimon's wrist, pulling him through and back into the tunnels. Sorcermon looked around. "Come on. We have to find a way out of here."

Agunimon jerked his wrist free of Sorcermon's grip, turning to run back through the portal only for it to disappear. "No! Kouji!"

"Agunimon, he's probably already out of Sakkakumon." Sorcermon said calmly. "We have to get out as soon as possible to find him."

"Can't you see what a disaster this is?!" Agunimon shouted, glaring at Sorcermon. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"I'm just as upset as you are!" Sorcermon snapped. "I just know how to control my emotions better! Now let's find a way out of here before—"

"A way out?" Agunimon scoffed. "We're never going to find a way out! We're going to be stuck in here forever!"

Sorcermon frowned and suddenly swung his staff, smacking Agunimon across the face and silencing him. Seconds after he committed the act, Sorcermon's eyes widened. "Uh…..sorry—!" He grunted in pain when Agunimon suddenly tackled him, sending them to the ground. "Get off!"

"Not before I knock some sense into you!" Agunimon growled.

Sorcermon finally managed to shove the fiery Digimon off him. "You are acting like a child!"

"I _am _a child!" Agunimon snapped, lunging again only for Sorcermon to jump out of the way.

"And that's why I'm here to help you. But I can't do that if you are going to give in to your frustration!" Sorcermon said, his voice rising in volume.

"You're here to help us?" Agunimon swung his foot in a roundhouse kick, but Sorcermon blocked it. "Last I checked, you were here just to get yourself killed! You really think you're going to protect us by dying?"

"Whether or not I die protecting you should not be your concern!" Sorcermon punched Agunimon's stomach smacking him in the back of the head with his staff.

"It _is _my concern!" Agunimon threw a punch, hitting Sorcermon and sending the Majin flying into the wall. "You're not helping anyone by doing this!"

"I never break my promises. I'm protecting you, like I promised, and if I die doing so that shouldn't be an issue!" Sorcermon growled, pushing himself upright.

Agunimon suddenly grabbed Sorcermon by the collar and hoisted him off the ground, slamming him into the wall. "Why? Why do you want to die? Because you blame yourself for what happened to Seraphimon?"

"I don't _want_ to die!" Sorcermon protested.

"Then why are you so willing to give up your life to save ours? Do you still think you're worthless?"

"No!"

"Are you ashamed to face Ophanimon after what happened to Seraphimon?"

"No!"

"Are you scared to face Cherubimon?"

"No!"

"_Then why are you doing this?!"_

"_I don't know!" _

Sorcermon's eyes suddenly glowed in a bright white light, and he swung a fist around to collide it with Agunimon's cheek. The fiery Digimon stumbled back, dropping Sorcermon. The ice Majin lunged, swiping Agunimon's legs with his staff and kicking him down the tunnel. Agunimon hit the ground hard and stared in shock and a little fear as Sorcermon advanced towards him. The Majin's eyes still glowed white, and he glared almost murderously down at Agunimon.

As quickly as it came, the glow left Sorcermon's eyes, and he stared at Agunimon lying on the ground before him. His breathing came out a little labored, and his horrified gaze shifted to his hands…..and what he almost did. His wand slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor and Sorcermon fell to his knees, bowing to Agunimon.

"I'm sorry…I..I didn't mean to do that, Lord Agunimon…I just…I…" Sorcermon was shaking now, keeping his head down as he kneeled before Agunimon. "Go ahead…strike me, berate me, whatever you want….I deserve to be punished for what I did…."

Agunimon sat up, staring at Sorcermon. The ice Majin refused to raise his head, still shaking as though he were freezing. Agunimon thought back to Sorcermon's behavior while they were in the Continent of Darkness, and how he acted before and after the fight with Duskmon. It clicked in the Warrior of Fire's head. _He's just stressed. He's put so much weight on his shoulders by promising to protect us that he's just freaked out over so many enemies coming and attacking us, especially powerful ones like Duskmon and Mercurymon. It's not his fault. Well, maybe it's kind of his fault for keeping it bottled up like that. But he can't help being worried for us._

Sighing softly, Agunimon moved over to kneel in front of Sorcermon. Still, the ice Majin didn't look up. Agunimon raised a fist, and then lightly tapped it against Sorcermon's head. Sorcermon stopped shaking, but kept his eyes downcast. Agunimon sighed again, putting a comforting hand on Sorcermon's shoulder. "Sorcermon? Come on; we gotta find a way out of here and get to the others."

Sorcermon finally nodded slowly, picking up his staff. The two of them walked off, deeper into Sakkakumon.

_Why can't you see it, Sorcermon? _Agunimon wondered, staring worriedly at Sorcermon. _Why can't you see that we're here for you?_


	15. Episode 28

**Episode 28**

Soon after their little skirmish, Agunimon and Sorcermon began simply walking down the tunnels of Sakkakumon. Nothing jumped out at them, but then again no more portals showed up either.

_This is driving me crazy! _Agunimon mentally groaned in frustration. _Why can't I get out of this stupid place? I can't even tell which way is up anymore. Oh, who am I kidding? I don't know which way is up, down, sideways, inside out or any other kind of way in this darn maze. _Agunimon glanced to Sorcermon, who kept his gaze straight ahead for most of the walk. _I wonder what he's thinking about. He's probably still mad at me, and himself. It's like the guy's still a kid; even if he's not, to put all that stress on his shoulders must really take its toll. Wish there was something I could do to help. I guess for now all I can do is stay alive. I wonder if the others are okay. Well, they must be if they're not in here anymore._

Sorcermon suddenly stopped, forcing Agunimon to follow suit. Before he could ask what was wrong, he noticed that several eye portals opened all around them, the red irises seeming to stare at them from the ceiling, walls, even the floor.

"Ay-yai-yai." Agunimon blinked, praying the eyes around him don't do the same. "Which is the right one?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Sorcermon murmured, staring at the portals all around them. "But I'm willing to bet that none of them lead to outside."

Agunimon had to agree there. Mercurymon wouldn't let them out that easily. He looked around for a moment. "Let's try…..this one!" He turned to the nearest eye portal and jumped through, Sorcermon right beside him. The other side of the portal was clearly not the outside, given the skies were dark and the clouds red-violet and the ground nowhere in sight. "Uh, where's the ground?"

Sorcermon glanced at his feet and his eyes widened. "Um….Lord Agunimon? Look down."

Agunimon did…..and saw the ground several hundred feet below. The two of them suddenly began plummeting, right towards the rocky earth below. "Great choice, Takuya!" Agunimon groaned.

"Hold on!" Sorcermon extended his palm towards the ground, shooting a blast of magic from his hand. Just before the two of them hit the ground, a giant mound of snow caught them and cushioned their fall. Agunimon hurriedly dug his way out, Sorcermon pulling him from the mound of snow.

"Whew. Never thought I'd be so thankful for snow." Agunimon sighed, brushing snow off his armor. "Thanks, Sorcermon."

"Don't mention it." Sorcermon replied simply, dusting snow off his hat. "Where are we?"

Agunimon looked around, noting how the rocky landscape was barren save for what looked like hundreds of reflective spires and full-length mirrors all around them. "Geez. How many mirrors does one world need?" Movement caught his eye, and he and Sorcermon turned expecting an enemy. But only a large mirror stood behind them. "Just a mirror." Agunimon sighed.

Sorcermon stared at the mirror and slowly put a hand to it. "They're not just mirrors….they're steel."

"How very observant."

Agunimon and Sorcermon spun around again to see a familiar figure resting atop a small hill of steel and mirrors. "Mercurymon. What do you want?" Agunimon growled. Sorcermon's grip tightened on his staff, glaring angrily.

Mercurymon had that infuriatingly cocky smirk on his face. "Just a trifle, really: to defeat thee, destroy thy companions and claim this world. But first, I have a little secret."

"Keep your stupid secret, Metal Brain!" Agunimon snapped. "It's time you and I went head-to-head! I've been itching to defeat you since day one!"

"If only thy mouth were thy weapon." Mercurymon sneered. "Then surely thoust could never be defeated."

"Enough talking!" Agunimon shouted.

"You're awfully confident for someone who's not leaving here alive." Sorcermon growled. Agunimon was slightly surprised by Sorcermon's words and tone, but he didn't show.

"A small bout of confidence shall not ensure victory, Majin." Mercurymon scoffed.

"We'll see about that." Sorcermon's grip tightened even more on his staff, as if it were possible with how angry he was.

"Eager to perish?" Mercurymon smirked. "For truly there is no other option if thou art so foolish as to face me. You may have been trained by Seraphimon, but thou hast never beaten me. And you, O Warrior of Fire, thou hast days of experience with this world. I have a lifetime. My knowledge could fill a book! And, of course, chapter one would begin with an attention-catching surprise, like this!" Agunimon and Sorcermon blinked, and suddenly Mercurymon disappeared. Before they could react, he suddenly appeared behind them. "Impressive, is it not? Thou couldst never hope to move with such speed. Thou are doomed to failure before thou even start."

Agunimon growled and spun around, him and Sorcermon aiming strikes against Mercurymon, but the Warrior of Steel disappeared yet again. Mercurymon reappeared before a mirror some feet away. "Man, you sure like to talk a lot." Agunimon growled. "Must be because you're too afraid to clam up and fight!" Mercurymon didn't answer, that haughty smirk still on his lips. It only made Agunimon angrier. "All right, I get your little joke! I guess you're ready for a fight, then!"

Sorcermon tensed, staring at Mercurymon. _He's toying with us. As much as I would love to smash his face in, we'll need to be smart about this or we'll lose too easily._

Agunimon suddenly charged forward, aiming a punch for Mercurymon's face. But the Warrior of Steel simply stepped backwards and disappeared into the mirror behind him. The evil warrior's laughter rang out into the air as Agunimon and Sorcermon scanned the reflective surfaces around them. _"I see thou hath reached Chapter Two. About the futility of sparring with me in mine own world. Here, I can move with ease from any polished surface to another! I can dodge thy punches, strike without warning! Look around thyself! I can be anywhere! Even right behind thee."_

"Agunimon!" Sorcermon suddenly scooped up a rock and threw it, smashing the mirror behind Agunimon before Mercurymon could grab him. Mercurymon disappeared, laughing again.

"Quit cheating!" Agunimon shouted. "Come out and fight like a man, fair and square!"

"_Peek-a-boo."_

Agunimon turned to a spire nearby and ran towards it, glaring at Mercurymon's image in the surface. "There you are!"

"_What's fair for me is deadly to thee." _Mercurymon warned. _"And so it this!" _Suddenly, several of the spires began falling towards Mercurymon's opponents.

"Move!" Sorcermon urged, him and Agunimon taking off and leaping over fallen and falling spires. Agunimon suddenly picked up speed, forcing Sorcermon to follow. They passed spire after spire, mirror after mirror, and all the while Mercurymon's voice echoed around them and his image flashed in every reflective surface.

"_Chapter Three: the so-called hero runs for his life." _Mercurymon mocked. _"Even though there is no escape. I am everywhere in this world! Here, I have absolute power and thou hast nothing!"_

"Slow down!" Sorcermon ordered, trying to calm Agunimon. But the Warrior of Fire didn't stop until he suddenly jumped up onto a large pile of boulders and spires, panting heavily. Sorcermon leaped up to join him. "He's toying with us. We're in his element now and he's taking advantage of that. If we can think of a plan we'll be able to beat him, but we can't lose our heads."

Agunimon nodded, finally gaining control of his breathing. Mercurymon laughed again. _"Oh you pitiful fools! Thou cannot win!"_

"Don't underestimate us!" Agunimon shouted. "You are so going down! Now come out and fight!"

"_Very well." _Light suddenly shot from the large group of mirrors just below the two warriors, and a ginormous image of Mercurymon appeared before them. _"Chapter Four shall be about how I crush thee like a boot crushes the tiniest bug!"_

Sorcermon suddenly shot down towards the mirrors, smashing several of them with his staff. Agunimon followed suit, the two of them destroying the mirrors creating the image. Mercurymon shouted in surprise as he disappeared, but his voice suddenly came again, this time right behind the warriors.

"Nice try." Mercurymon smirked. "But breaking mirrors will only bring thee bad luck."

"I have plenty of bad luck to send your way!" Agunimon snapped. "You're gonna find that the two of us are more than you bargained for! So let me start by heating things up! _Pyro Punch!"_

"Didst thou forget this?" Mercurymon held up one of the mirror shields on his arm. _"Dark Reflection!"_

"_Drowning Aquarius!" _Sorcermon summoned the water from his staff to block the attack, but the resulting steam allowed for Mercurymon to disappear again. "You coward! Stop hiding!"

"Who's hiding?" Mercurymon smirked, standing several feet behind them. "Now follow me to the next chapter."

"What for?" Agunimon growled.

"It's time to bear witness before thou art defeated." An eye portal appeared, and Mercurymon stepped through it.

"We'll see about that!" Sorcermon lunged forward to follow him.

"Sorcermon, wait!" Agunimon suddenly grabbed the ice Majin's arm. "It's too dangerous. You stay in here."

"What?" Sorcermon snapped, looking almost insulted by such a request.

"It'll be safer if you just wait here." Agunimon insisted. "I'll take care of this."

"Mercurymon killed Seraphimon. I have just as much right to battle him as you do!" Sorcermon snapped.

"I know! But…" Agunimon's grip tightened on the Majin's arm. "…..but you almost died the last time you went up against him. We can't lose you again!"

Sorcermon stared at the ground for a moment before jerking his arm free and charging into the portal. Agunimon followed close behind, the two of them ending up back in the tunnels. Mercurymon was several feet ahead of them, standing before another eye portal.

"Planned to sneak up on me, didst thou?" the metal warrior chuckled as he disappeared through the portal.

"All right, if we're going to do this, let's do it." Agunimon said. "But we stick together."

Sorcermon nodded. "Right." The two of them charged forward, jumping through the portal and finding themselves in open air once more. But this time, they were prepared and the ground was closer, and the two of them easily landed on their feet. Looking around, they found themselves in some sort of church setting, complete with stained glass windows that seemed to float in the air, rows of pews, and a large pipe organ sitting at the head of the room.

"Is this what he wanted to show us?" Agunimon wondered. "No, it can't be. I'm sure whatever it is it's going to be a lot less pretty and a lot more painful."

"Speaking of which, where is he?" Sorcermon asked, keeping his staff ready.

"All right, Mercurymon!" Agunimon shouted. "Let's get this over with!" But as he and Sorcermon walked down the aisle between the pews, they saw no sign of their opponent. "Mercurymon!" Agunimon shouted, feeling his frustration creeping back. Suddenly, an invisible force ran along the keys of the organ, sending out an eerie round of notes. Though fear began creeping up their spines, Sorcermon and Agunimon wouldn't be deterred.

"You'll have to come out sooner or later!" Sorcermon shouted.

"Come on! Aren't you sick of hiding from us yet?" Agunimon chimed in.

"Who's hiding?"

The two of them jumped and turned to see Mercurymon appeared in the pew beside them. "Stop doing that!" Agunimon snapped.

Mercurymon was still smiling craftily. "My, art thou jumpy. One might accidently get the notion that thou art afraid."

"Quit messing around or I'll burn this place down!" Agunimon threatened.

"Very well." Mercurymon said smoothly. "But surely thou can ask nicer than that."

"Quit stalling!" Agunimon screamed. Sorcermon, finally fed up, lunged forward and swung his staff around to hit Mercurymon's head. The Warrior of Steel held up a shield to block the attack, and then snapped his fingers. The glass above their heads shattered as a figure came down, forcing Sorcermon and Agunimon to jump back. But when they saw who floated before them, they couldn't hide their surprise.

"Chapter Five: Revelation." Mercurymon laughed.

"It's…Seraphimon…" Agunimon gasped. "But that's not possible! He was turned into a Digi-Egg!"

Sorcermon stared at his master, the ghostly form floating in the air with his arms spread while red, thorny vines wrapped around his figure and suspended him off the ground. It was hard to tell if this was some sort of ghost or the real Seraphimon. "No…..it can't be…"

"How little thou knowst of the Digital World." Mercurymon chuckled darkly.

Agunimon growled. "Release him now!"

"Alas, tis not really a 'him' to release." Mercurymon mused, stepping from the pew to stand between Seraphimon and his opponents.

"What do you mean?" Agunimon demanded.

"Tis only a shadow." Mercurymon explained. "A copy of his data. But, if thou insists…" The thorny vines around Seraphimon suddenly disappeared. "It may not be restrained for me to use it thus!"

"No!" Sorcermon shouted. But he and Agunimon could only watch as Mercurymon absorbed the shadow, his body becoming encased in fractal code. When the code disappeared, a figure that looked just like Seraphimon stood before them. Only his armor was white with gold and green decorations, his wings resembled that of a bat's and his hair was now black as coal.

"No, this can't be!" Agunimon gasped.

"But it is." Mercurymon's voice came from the dark version of Seraphimon. "I have become more powerful than thou canst imagine." He put a clawed hand to his helmet, and the cross-like ornament turned to form an X. "I am ShadowSeraphimon! Wish to fight me _now, _pathetic whelps?"

Sorcermon's hands trembled as he gripped his staff, almost seething with anger. "You…..how dare you…." He suddenly lunged for ShadowSeraphimon. "I'll kill you!" ShadowSeraphimon simply raised a hand and smacked Sorcermon aside, sending him crashing into the pews.

"Sorcermon!" Agunimon called.

"Prepare for thy doom." ShadowSeraphimon taunted.

"People keep saying that, and I'm still around!" Agunimon growled. He glanced to where Sorcermon fell, but the ice Majin was struggling to rise. _I have to keep fighting. I won't give up!_

"Well then let's change that, shall we?" ShadowSeraphimon lunged forward, faster than Agunimon could process in time to react. He landed a punch to Agunimon's chest, sending him flying into the air. Then he flew up after the Warrior of Fire and slammed his heel onto Agunimon's head. Agunimon shouted in pain as he crashed into the ground. He pushed himself upright, only for ShadowSeraphimon to grab his hair and flip him over onto the ground. The force of the blow sent up chunks of rock and left a small crater, and Agunimon involuntarily let out another scream of pain. The intense pain could only be because of Seraphimon's power, and adding it with Mercurymon's strength only made it worse.

"Takuya!" Sorcermon ran along the backrest of the pews, twirling his staff and preparing to strike ShadowSeraphimon. But as he pulled back the wand to attack, ShadowSeraphimon's form flickered to reveal the true Seraphimon. Sorcermon hesitated, the brief pause giving ShadowSeraphimon time to land a powerful roundhouse kick that sent Sorcermon flying to one side, hitting the pews again. The force of the impact crushed the wood and left Sorcermon lying there, groaning in pain.

"Compassionate weakling." ShadowSeraphimon laughed. "Can't even tell the difference between friend and foe?

"_Slide Evolution! BurningGreymon!"_

ShadowSeraphimon groaned. "You again?"

"_Pyro Barrage!"_ BurningGreymon sent the attack with all his strength, but ShadowSeraphimon suddenly burst from the cloud of smoke that erupted and body slammed the Beast Warrior of Fire.

"_Shadow Starburst!" _A bright light surrounded ShadowSeraphimon as he pushed his power into BurningGreymon, causing another round of pained screams to come from the DigiDestined. ShadowSeraphimon threw him aside, causing him to crash into the ground and destroy a few pew benches as he fell. ShadowSeraphimon laughed evilly. "Nothing in this world can stand against me!"

BurningGreymon struggled to rise, but he refused to back down. "I won't give up. I can't." He shakily stood, spinning around and glaring fiercely at ShadowSeraphimon. _"Pyro Barrage!"_

ShadowSeraphimon simply held up a hand to stop the attacks, an invisible force field protecting him from the blows. "Thy antics bore me. _Shadow Shockwave!" _BurningGreymon shouted in pain, feeling his strength diminishing. "Tis time to write thy final chapter, you meddlesome child!" ShadowSeraphimon gathered his strength, smirking at the sight of his opponent so weak. _"Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!"_

BurningGreymon could only stare in horror as the seven black-and-purple spheres came straight at him, knowing there was no way he could survive that strike. But a flash of white caught his eye, and suddenly Sorcermon appeared between him and the blast. "Sorcermon!"

Sorcermon stood firm, gathering his limited strength. _"Inoceotprot!" _He held out his palm, a force field magically appearing before him to block the attack. Once the stars hit, however, the shield immediately began to crack and break. Sorcermon grit his teeth, fighting to keep the barrier up, when BurningGreymon suddenly knocked him aside, taking the rest of the blow. Sorcermon stared in horror as BurningGreymon dedigivolved to Takuya, the boy screaming in agony. "Takuya! No!"

The blast disappeared, and Takuya fell to his knees before falling face first to the ground, his goggles' lenses breaking.

"Ah, but first, one last gift." ShadowSeraphimon looked to the organ, where a coffin suddenly rose from the ground and slid down the small set of stairs before settling. "A little place for thee to take a long, long nap."

Sorcermon forced himself to move, despite his muscles' protests, and stood over Takuya protectively. "You'll have to go through me first."

ShadowSeraphimon chuckled darkly. "Art thou really so willing to fight thy own master?"

"You aren't my master." Sorcermon growled. "You're the monster who killed him! You're not really Seraphimon!"

"Perhaps, but I am close." ShadowSeraphimon laughed. "This form was gained from Seraphimon's data. If thou attacks me, thou will attack him!"

Sorcermon suddenly lunged. "Shut up!" He swung his staff, but ShadowSeraphimon caught the weapon with ease.

"Is that the best thou canst do?" ShadowSeraphimon sneered, only to grunt in pain when Sorcermon put his foot in the armored Digimon's stomach, kicking off ShadowSeraphimon before sending a Drowning Aquarius that pushed the dark Digimon back a few feet. "You are learning. Good. But twill not be enough!"

"We will see!" Sorcermon lunged again, jumping up and aiming a punch. But ShadowSeraphimon grabbed his fist and threw him aside, sending the ice Majin tumbling. Sorcermon stood to face ShadowSeraphimon, but the dark angel moved first. He thrust his knee into Sorcermon's jaw, slammed his fist into the Majin's back, and kicked him up into the air. Sorcermon shouted in pain, his staff dropping from his hands as he flew into the air. ShadowSeraphimon flew after him, flying higher than the Majin.

"_Shadow Shockwave!" _The blow met Sorcermon and pushed him back into the ground, leaving a small crater. Sorcermon grunted in pain, everything hurting so much he could hardly move. But he pushed himself to his feet with shaking hands, swaying a bit as ShadowSeraphimon landed before him. ShadowSeraphimon sliced his claws across Sorcermon's chest, tearing the Majin's clothing and leaving a deep gash. He grabbed Sorcermon by the collar and threw him across the room, his body bashing into the pipe organ. Before he could slip to the floor, ShadowSeraphimon lunged forward and slammed his hand onto Sorcermon's chest, pinning him to the pipes of the instrument. Sorcermon gasped, or at least tried to; the pain from the blow took away his voice and it was a miracle his ribs didn't snap under the pressure.

"Pathetic waste of data!" ShadowSeraphimon snarled, lifting Sorcermon into the air and throwing him down. Sorcermon's body hit the keys of the organ, sending out several notes before he tumbled to the floor. He gasped and coughed, fighting to rise again. His arms shook so much he could barely lift himself up, and when he looked up ShadowSeraphimon's foot came up and kicked his jaw. He fell to his back, and suddenly ShadowSeraphimon pressed his foot onto Sorcermon's throat. He pushed down, seeming to enjoy listening to Sorcermon gasp and strain for breath as he weakly tried to push ShadowSeraphimon off him. "What made thou think that thou couldst defeat me? You and those worthless children are powerless against me!"

Takuya groaned painfully. "You…..haven't beaten me yet….."

ShadowSeraphimon turned to Takuya, surprised to find the boy still alive. He lifted his foot off Sorcermon's neck, allowing the Majin to gasp deeply and cough to get the air back in his lungs. "Then allow me the pleasure in correcting that oversight." ShadowSeraphimon sneered, leaving Sorcermon where he lay and marching over to Takuya. "Fear not. Soon, it shall all be over." Takuya forced himself to look up, glaring hatefully at ShadowSeraphimon. He whimpered in pain when the dark Digimon suddenly grabbed his face, hoisting him into the air. "What? No witty quips?"

"Why waste my breath on a jerk like you?" Takuya groaned painfully. He continued to moan as ShadowSeraphimon tightened his grip on the boy's head, tears pushing out of his eyes and streaming down his cheeks.

"Twill be purest pleasure to destroy thee." ShadowSeraphimon growled, clearly irked by Takuya's attitude.

_No. This can't happen. _Sorcermon thought, fighting to rise. _We can't let him win! He won't win!_

Outside, Kazemon, Beetlemon, and Kumamon beat mercilessly on the orb Takuya and Sorcermon fought in, desperate to reach their friends before they could be killed. Bokomon and Neemon prayed for a miracle, Bokomon begging Seraphimon's egg for help.

"_Takuya!" _Everyone screamed.

Suddenly, a shot of golden light sprang from the ground and connected with Takuya, encasing him in the golden glow.

"What trickery be this?" ShadowSeraphimon demanded. He yelped in pain when something metal whacked against the back of his head, and he dropped Takuya as he stumbled back. Growling in anger, he glared at Sorcermon as the ice Majin stood beside Takuya. His clothing was still torn and blood trickled down his chest, but he hardly seemed to notice as he held his staff ready.

Sorcermon looked to Takuya. The glow continued to shine, and Sorcermon could see Seraphimon's symbol appear on the boy's chest. _Seraphimon….thank you…_

"Do your worst!" ShadowSeraphimon snapped as the glow around Takuya died to nothing. "Thou dost not frighten me!" Takuya didn't answer. "Seriously!" It sounded as though ShadowSeraphimon tried to convince himself more than Takuya.

Suddenly, fire erupted around Takuya's form, and his goggles repaired themselves like magic. _"Oh yeah_?!" Takuya shouted. _"Well then tell me something: do I scare you now?!"_

"_Execute Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!"_

Aldamon was the perfect blend of BurningGreymon and Agunimon. It looked mostly like Agunimon, only with BurningGreymon's armor, wings, and tail. He didn't look the least bit wounded, revived by Seraphimon's power.

"Impossible!" ShadowSeraphimon gasped. But he returned to his normally haughty demeanor. "Impressive. But thou cannot still stand against my power! _Strike of the Seven Dark Stars!" _The strike connected with Aldamon, but he hardly moved and the blasts left little to no damage. He began advancing towards ShadowSeraphimon, who backed away in fear at the sight of his most powerful attack no longer working. "No! Stay back!" He backed up until he felt his foot hit something, and he turned to stare in fear at the coffin he summoned.

"You know, that thing really seems to be more your size than mine." Aldamon noted.

ShadowSeraphimon was shaking now. He tried to spread his wings and take off, but something cemented him to the ground. Looking down, he noticed ice forming around his ankles and legs, keeping him firmly planted on the floor. Sorcermon finished the spell, stepping aside and allowing Aldamon a clear shot. "He's all yours."

Aldamon nodded, preparing the pointed guns on his arms. _"Atomic Inferno!" _He launched the barrage of fiery attacks, nailing ShadowSeraphimon as the evil Digimon screamed in pain. His form turned dark, and his fractal code appeared around him. "It's purification time. And it couldn't have happened to a meaner guy." Aldamon summoned his D-Tector, activating the scanner flame. "Fractal code, digitize!" The code streamed into the D-Tector, forcing ShadowSeraphimon to dedigivolve back to Mercurymon. But as Aldamon and Sorcermon watched, the data began to shoot out of the D-Tector and disappeared out of the room.

"Where's it going?" Sorcermon asked.

"Back to Seraphimon, I would guess." Aldamon answered. "It knows where it's going. Besides, we have bigger problems."

* * *

Mercurymon burst through the portal back into the Steel Sphere, panting heavily. "That plan was ruined." He growled in frustration, unable to believe the child actually defeated him. "But I can still win here."

"Don't be so sure!"

Mercurymon gasped and turned to see Aldamon appeared, ready to fight again. "Aldamon. Looking to repeat thy defeat here?"

"No! To teach _you _what defeat really means!" Aldamon growled.

Mercurymon laughed. "Thou art a confident opponent, I shall grant thee that. But confidence is still no match for the skill and power I possess!"

"Just like you're no match for me!" Aldamon gathered his energy, focusing his strength on containing the amount of power he was about to put forth. A ball of fiery energy appeared between his palms, growing in size until it was as big as him. _"Solar Wind Destroyer!" _He threw the massive attack, and while it didn't destroy Mercurymon it obliterated every steel spire and mirror in the area.

"This can't be!" Mercurymon gasped.

"I have a book of my own with a surprise ending!" Aldamon shouted. "You're finished, Mercurymon!"

"No!" Mercurymon growled. "Even without my mirrors, I possess enough power to destroy thee!"

Aldamon glared hard. "I'm not the one you have to worry about."

Mercurymon gasped and turned, seeing Sorcermon standing on the ground behind him. The ice Majin seemed to be surrounded by a freezing aura, allowing him to be unaffected by the intense heat from Aldamon's attack. He advanced towards Mercurymon, glaring with hatred.

"No!" Mercurymon shouted, nervous but not willing to back down. "Thou cannot harm me! If thou kills me, the Angel's Blessing will forever be corrupted by thy sin!"

Sorcermon paused. "This is no sin. Revenge may have been my original reason for fighting you, but in the end your purification is necessary for balance. This isn't murder, this is justice; this is for Seraphimon." He lunged forward, twirling his staff.

Mercurymon managed to hold up a shield and block the strike, grabbing Sorcermon by his vest. "Fool! Didst thou think you could really—" He gasped as pain erupted in his stomach, and he looked down to see a shard from one of the mirrors piercing through the mirror in his abdomen. Horrified, he noticed Sorcermon dissolving into bits of data and disappear.

"I was behind you." Sorcermon's voice said in Mercurymon's ear. The Majin's eyes began to glow white, and a pair of white, feathery wings appeared on his back. He released the shard of mirror he stabbed into Mercurymon and jumped up, back flipping and preparing the final blow. Mercurymon stared in shock and fear, unable to stop the attack. The snowflake on Sorcermon's wand glowed bright white like his eyes, and he thrust the weapon forward. _"Crystal Barrage!" _The ice shards rained down onto Mercurymon, who shouted in pain as his fractal code appeared around him. Sorcermon floated before the evil Legendary Warrior. "By my power, be purified and reborn." He held out his hand, and Mercurymon's data streamed into his palm before he disappeared completely. Sorcermon grunted a little, but when the pain disappeared he knew he succeeded in purifying Mercurymon. He settled back onto the ground, his eyes no longer glowing and his wings disappearing. Even his wounds closed up and his clothing repaired itself.

Aldamon smiled proudly. "Nice work, Sorcermon."

Sorcermon smiled, looking a little more at peace now. "Thanks. Now let's get out of here."

Aldamon nodded, wrapping an arm around Sorcermon's stomach and lifting him into the air. He spotted an eye portal ahead and flew through, taking the two of them outside. "Hey everybody!" Aldamon called as he flew down towards his friends. "Sorcermon and I totally just kicked Mercurymon's metal butt into the next Digi-century! So how are the rest of you guys doing?" But as he landed and dedigivolved, he and Sorcermon noticed everyone was gathered around a screaming Bokomon who was clutching Seraphimon's egg tightly.

"Is everyone all right?" Sorcermon asked.

"What the heck's wrong with Bokomon?" Takuya added.

"We don't know!" Zoe cried helplessly.

"He was zapped by Seraphimon's data!" J.P. explained. Everyone stared as Seraphimon's egg suddenly began pulsing and expanding.

"What is happening?" Takuya asked worriedly.

"The egg! It's hatching!" Zoe realized, staring at the glowing cracks appearing in the egg.

"You mean Seraphimon's being born right now?" J.P. asked excitedly, everyone smiling and staring in anticipation. The egg began to glow brightly.

"This is the most beautiful thing ever!" Neemon cheered. Suddenly, the egg quite literally exploded and a cloud of smoke erupted from Bokomon's haramaki. Neemon coughed. "And the smokiest." Everyone laughed, watching as the smoke cleared and waiting to see Seraphimon appear. But instead, a different Digimon floated before them: a Digimon that looked like an orange and white hamster with bat wings placed where his ears would be and bright blue eyes. He even wore a pink haramaki like Bokomon.

"Hey, who is that?" Tommy asked.

"It's Patamon." Bokomon cooed.

"Hi everybody!" Patamon greeted cheerfully.

"He's my…..he's my little baby…." Bokomon smiled broadly. "Now come say hi to Mama!"

Everyone stared at him before exclaiming at once. "You want it to call you 'Mama'?!"

"Mama!" Patamon chirped.

"Well who else carried that egg for weeks while the rest of you lollygagged around?" Bokomon huffed. Everyone shouted at once, unable to believe Bokomon's words. "Fine. Then no one gets to play with him." Another round of protests, coupled with Zoe cooing cutely over the little Patamon.

"So is this really Seraphimon?" Takuya asked.

"Yes, it's just his younger form." Sorcermon explained. "He had enough strength to digivolve to his Rookie Level, but he's still mostly a child. Then again, what can you expect from a Digimon that just hatched?" Patamon finally seemed to notice Sorcermon and a look of awe and curiosity came across his face. He flew closer to Sorcermon, staring at him with big, blinking blue eyes. Sorcermon stared back for a moment before straightening up and bowing respectfully. "My lord."

Patamon cocked his head to one side in confusion. Everyone stared albeit worriedly. "Don't you remember him, little guy?" J.P. asked Patamon.

"He might not, J.P." Bokomon explained. "Digimon never really die; their data becomes reconfigured so they may be reborn again from a Digi-Egg. But sometimes a Digimon won't remember anything about their past lives when they are reborn."

Everyone tensed at this realization, not wanting to imagine the heartbreak Sorcermon and all of them would experience if Patamon didn't recognize the ice Majin. The young Digimon continued to stare at Sorcermon, who stood up straight and stared back with a concerned gaze. For a moment, it seemed that Patamon didn't have the slightest clue as to who stood before him. Sorcermon looked down, feeling somewhat crushed.

Then, Patamon's face broke into smiles. "Sorcermon!" He laughed as he rammed into Sorcermon, almost knocking him off his feet, and wrapped his arms around the Majin's neck in a tight hug.

"You _do _remember him!" Zoe sighed in relief.

"Of course I do!" Patamon nodded. "Sorcermon's a dear friend!" He snuggled his face into the crook of Sorcermon's neck, smiling warmly. "I really missed you."

Sorcermon didn't move for a moment, still not accustomed to such an emotional gesture (much less one from his own master). But, after finally realizing his master was alive once more and confirming that he wasn't dreaming, Sorcermon gave in. All the stress he felt for the past few weeks fell away in mere seconds. He dropped his staff and wrapped his arms around Patamon's smaller frame, holding him close. "I missed you too."

Everyone sighed in relief, thankful for such a peaceful moment now that the fight was over.


	16. Episode 29

**A/N: I am so sorry for the late update! Life came up. But enjoy this next chapter!**

* * *

**Episode 29**

Everyone watched as Sakkakumon, all of his orbs now dark, floated up into the sky and disappeared into the clouds. It was hard to hide their relief.

"There goes Sakkakumon." Zoe sighed.

"That's a relief." Tommy nodded.

"He's just backing off." J.P. guessed, a somewhat worried look on his face. But he smiled as he turned to Patamon. "Well, at least we got an answer to what was in Seraphimon's egg."

"You're sure a cute little fella." Zoe cooed.

"And he flies!" Tommy chirped excitedly.

"My Papa-mon!" Patamon flapped his wings and flew down to settle onto Bokomon's head.

Bokomon smiled. "Aw, isn't that adorable? My baby thinks of me as both his Papa _and _Mama."

"I'm hungry, Papa-mon." Patamon said.

Bokomon blinked in surprise and realization, as did everyone else. "Don't look at me!" Neemon protested. "I don't even have pockets."

Bokomon stared sadly up at Patamon. "We don't even have a crust of bread."

Everyone held their breaths, waiting for the baby Digimon to throw a tantrum or begin crying. Instead, Patamon said, "That's okay. I can wait."

Everyone blinked in surprise again. "That's different! He's so calm!" Zoe smiled.

"What a good boy!" Tommy said proudly.

"He sure doesn't have Bokomon's genes." J.P. noted, the others nodding in agreement.

"And just what's wrong with my genes?!" Bokomon snapped.

Patamon flapped over to Sorcermon. "Hey Sorcermon. Do you have anything to eat?"

"Afraid not, milord." Sorcermon shrugged. "The best I can do is a snowball, but they don't really taste like anything."

"I'll try it." Patamon said, still calm as ever.

Sorcermon smiled. "Very well." He rubbed his fingers together before swirling his hands around, creating a small snowball between his palms.

"Don't feed that to him!" Bokomon cried. "What if it makes him sick?!"

"Do you really think I would feed him something if I thought it would hurt him?" Sorcermon huffed, handing the snowball to Patamon. "Besides, it's just water."

Patamon sniffed the snowball for a moment before taking a bite. He chewed a bit, then smiled warmly. "Ooh! It's cold! Yummy!" He plopped himself down on Sorcermon's shoulder like a parrot and gobbled up the snow, much to everyone else's amusement.

"Kouji, come in! Kouji!" Takuya called into his D-Tector. But only static greeted him. "It's no use. Wherever he is, I can't get through to him."

"That doesn't sound good." J.P. groaned.

"We better search for him." Takuya urged, everyone else nodding in agreement.

Neemon looked up and gasped. "Hold that thought!" Everyone looked up and yelped in surprise to see Sakkakumon returned, glowing once more. Only now, one of the orbs had a triangle and a large mouth, set at the top of the structure to almost give it a face. The giant Digimon began twitching and jerking, going into spasms as though he were having a seizure.

"Check it out! He's twitching like he's about to strike!" Takuya gulped.

"Why is he doing that?" Zoe asked worriedly.

"Hide me!" Patamon suddenly jumped up onto Sorcermon's head, hiding under his hat.

"Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." Sorcermon assured the young Digimon. _Not again._

Suddenly, Sakkakumon began glowing brighter, and he let out an evil laugh as he shrunk down to about a fourth of his current size. "Behold! The Legendary Warriors!" Everyone jumped, realizing Mercurymon's voice came from Sakkakumon now. "I must congratulate thee! Tis true, thine efforts have given me more power than even _I _couldst dream of!" The group only stood there, gaping in shock and unable to really respond. Sakkakumon then condensed down, becoming a cluster of his orbs that then began to shift around until one of them pointed towards the group. _"Thunder Fist!" _Sakkakumon cried, letting loose a lightning attack that almost hit the group.

"Hey, what's the deal?" J.P. whined. "He's stealing my thunder!"

"Yeah, that's Beetlemon's attack!" Takuya realized.

"And now, one for the lady!" Sakkakumon shifted around again to aim a different orb towards the group. _"Hurricane Wave!"_

Everyone ducked as the twister-like attack flew over their heads. "That's just not right!" Zoe complained.

"No kidding." Tommy agreed.

"Let's show him how it's really done!" Takuya pulled out his D-Tector, Seraphimon's symbol appearing on the screen.

"_Execute Fusion Evolution! Aldamon!"_

J.P. looked to Sorcermon. "Hey Patamon! Please tell me the rest of us have the power to Fusion Evolve too." Sorcermon's hat moved as the young Digimon peered out, looking sheepish.

"Regrettably, Seraphimon's power has been all used up." Bokomon said.

"I should've brought batteries." Neemon sighed.

"I'm sorry." Patamon said, ducking back under Sorcermon's hat.

"Don't worry about it!" Zoe encouraged.

"Yeah, the three of us still have power enough to take care of this." Tommy assured. J.P. wasn't sure he liked the idea of going into battle without Fusion Evolving, but he nodded in determination.

"_Execute Spirit Evolution!"_

"_Beetlemon!"_

"_Kazemon!"_

"_Kumamon!"_

"My turn!" Sakkakumon laughed, shifting once more. _"Blizzard Blaster!"_

Kumamon yelped in pain as his own attack knocked him off his feet. "He's got your attack down, too?" Kazemon gasped.

"How is he doing this?" Beetlemon demanded.

Sakkakumon unfolded himself. "Simple! I lured each of thee into thy own areas to observe thee in battle! Oh, how valiantly thou didst fight against my minions. Meanwhile, I meticulously all of the attacks thou could muster! Alas, not one of thee suspected a method to my madness, my deeper purpose. I must admit, you're efforts surprised even _my _expectations. The stronger the foe, the greater the response. All in the name glory. _My _glory! And now, all of thy power can be mirrored by me."

"You planned this from the beginning!" Aldamon realized. "So that's why we had to put up with the stench of fighting inside of you! You were using us!"

"He made us fight just so he could copy all our attacks?" Kumamon gasped. "Seriously?"

"Aw man, you mean we had to go through all of that for him? That stinks!" Beetlemon complained.

"You said it." Kazemon agreed.

"I relish the thought of thine efforts being the cause of thy own undoing!" Sakkakumon laughed, clearly amused. "Oh what fools these mortals be! Give me thy Spirits and the Digital World shall bow before me!"

"_Crystal Barrage!" _Shards flew from Sorcermon's staff, nailing Sakkakumon's "face" and causing him to growl in pain. "You know, I'm getting _really _tired of your cockiness." Sorcermon growled, irked.

"Yeah! Hate to soak your blanket, Big Mouth, but we're the originals!" Beetlemon shouted. "And no crooked copycat's going to tell us when to call it a day!" He lunged forward, readying his strength. _"Thunder Fist!"_

Sakkakumon condensed down, catching Beetlemon's attack. _"Thunder Fist Reflection!" _The attack shot back at Beetlemon at twice the strength, knocking him out of the sky and back to the ground.

"Hey!" Beetlemon complained. "What was that?"

"He can return our attacks with even more power." Aldamon reminded them.

"But then why didn't he return Sorcermon's attack?" Kumamon asked.

"Because he didn't expect me to survive while we were fighting inside him." Sorcermon guessed.

"True." Sakkakumon mused. "A tiny oversight, really. I did not expect thee to last so long, Sorcermon, so I didn't record your attacks. But twill not be enough to defeat me!"

"Pride goeth before a fall." The ice Majin muttered.

"We can't give up!" Kazemon suddenly pushed herself up into the air towards Sakkakumon. _"Hurricane Wave!"_

Sakkakumon shifted again, catching Kazemon's attack. _"Hurricane Wave Reflection!" _The winds came back and pushed Kazemon to the ground, the butterfly-like Digimon slamming into Sorcermon.

"Sorry about that." Kazemon groaned.

"I'm all right." Sorcermon assured, helping Kazemon stand.

"I can't believe I was hurt by my own attack." Kazemon growled in frustration.

"Most apt." Sakkakumon gloated. "The invention returns to plague the inventor!"

"Enough!" Aldamon lunged forward.

"Aldamon, don't!" Sorcermon shouted.

Too late. _"Atomic Inferno!"_

This time, Sakkakumon absorbed the attack into the triangle above his mouth. _"Atomic Inferno Reflection!" _Aldamon shouted in pain as the fiery strikes made contact with his body, forcing back to the ground and pushing him back several feet. "Thy attempts to attack are futile! The reality is thou cannot beat me; or, to be more accurate, you cannot beat yourselves!"

Sorcermon summoned water from his staff, bending it around him and solidifying the liquid into sharp icicles. "Beat this!" He launched the icicles forward and towards Sakkakumon, but the giant Digimon launched another one of Beetlemon's Thunder Fist to destroy the ice.

"Even if he can't reflect your attacks, he still has all of ours." Kumamon groaned.

"Well brilliant." Sorcermon muttered. "This can't get any worse."

"Let's see how thee fair when friend becomes foe!" Sakkakumon shifted, sending multiple attacks. _"Blizzard Blaster!" _The flurry of snowballs slammed into Kazemon. _"Hurricane Wave!" _The winds knocked Beetlemon to the ground. _"Lightning Blitz!" _Beetlemon's attack blasted Kumamon back. "And now, for the most evolved attack of all. From Aldamon, with love, _Atomic Inferno!"_

Sorcermon lunged forward as the fiery attack came down towards them. _"Drowning Aquarius!" _The water attack managed to snuff out many of the comet-like spheres, but a group of them pushed through the water and slammed into the ice Majin, sending him flying backwards and crashing into Aldamon. The two of them hit the ground, groaning in pain.

"Sorcermon?" Aldamon looked to the Majin worriedly.

"I'm all right." Sorcermon grunted, pushing himself to his feet.

Sakkakumon laughed. "To acquire thy attacks, I made a small sacrifice. But my Human Spirit was nothing when compared to this!"

"Compared to what?" Beetlemon snapped. "A flying bunch of Ping-Pong balls?"

"This isn't all we can do!" Kazemon assured. "Time to evolve!"

"_Slide Evolution! Zephyrmon!"_

"Let's show him something he hasn't seen yet!" Kumamon urged.

"_Beetlemon Slide Evolution! MetalKabuterimon!"_

"_Kumamon Slide Evolution! Korikakumon!"_

Zephyrmon lunged first. _"Hurricane….."_

"Let me finish that for you, darling." Sakkakumon sneered. He shifted again, catching Zephyrmon's attack and sending it right back, forcing the harpy-like Digimon to the ground.

"Attacking him individually gives him time to react!" Aldamon said. "We've got to attack him at the same time!" His friends nodded, the five of them taking different positions around Sakkakumon. But even when they threw their attacks at once, Sakkakumon spun around with just enough speed to catch each attack (with the exception of Sorcermon's, though it didn't seem to make much of a difference anyway) and launched them all back. The five Digimon shouted in pain and surprise as they were beaten back again. Sakkakumon laughed triumphantly, unfolding himself and smirking down at his opponents.

"What can we do now?" Korikakumon asked. "He knows all our attacks!"

"We've never faced an enemy like this." Zephyrmon said softly.

"It's no use. We'll never win!" MetalKabuterimon said.

"He must have some weakness." Sorcermon murmured, not taking his eyes off Sakkakumon. "He doesn't even have his own attacks; he's forced to use ours."

"That just makes him all the more powerful." Aldamon noted.

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Korikakumon asked no one in particular.

"Pull back." MetalKabuterimon said, causing everyone to turn and stare at him in surprise. "Let's get out of here!"

"What?" Zephyrmon gasped.

"You're not serious." Korikakumon scoffed.

"It's our only hope." MetalKabuterimon reasoned. "If we stay here, we're not gonna make it! There are times when running away is the only way to win, and this is one of those times."

"But we can't just run away!" Zephyrmon protested.

"No way!" Korikakumon agreed.

"Let's pull back." Aldamon urged, causing everyone to turn to him this time.

"Aldamon, there's no telling whether or not we _can _get away." Sorcermon protested. "Sakkakumon will follow us just like Duskmon."

"If we can lose Duskmon, we can lose him." Aldamon reasoned. "We have to think long-term."

"But Takuya—" Zephyrmon started.

"How can we stop this guy if we don't survive?" Aldamon demanded. "We've got to regroup and come up with another plan."

"Someone will have to stay back to distract him in order to get far enough away." Sorcermon said.

"Oh, no! That kind of talk almost got you killed." Korikakumon snapped.

"Takuya's right; we just have to fall back for now." Zephyrmon said. "_Together." _She, Korikakumon, and MetalKabuterimon Slide Evolved back to their Human Spirits. Not two seconds later, Sakkakumon suddenly shot down and circled his orb structure around them, surrounding the five Digimon completely.

"How did he—?" Aldamon gaped. "I've never seen him move so fast!"

"Oh great! We're surrounded!" Beetlemon moaned.

"So much for running away." Kazemon gulped.

"What are we gonna do now, boss?" Beetlemon asked, looking to Aldamon.

"Move it! Otherwise we're sunk!" Aldamon shot forward. Until that moment, Sakkakumon hadn't moved. Then, two of the eyes angled up to shoot wind and lightning as Aldamon shot past. He made it safely to the other side, Sorcermon creating a barrier of water to allow Beetlemon and Kazemon to fly over. The ice Majin and Kumamon slipped underneath in the space between the orbs and the ground. The five of them took off running, Sakkakumon condensing into a cluster and rolling after them.

"He's right behind us!" Beetlemon yelped. Looking ahead, they realized their problems were far from over as a small canyon came in sight.

"Jump!" Aldamon ordered, spurring them all to fly/slide down the cliff side and to the bottom of the canyon. Sakkakumon lengthened out like a caterpillar now, snaking down after them.

Sorcermon felt his hat shift, and he suddenly realized Patamon still rested underneath the cloth headwear. Patamon yelped in surprise at the sight of Sakkakumon and began shaking. "Just stay in there, milord." Sorcermon said, coaxing Patamon back under the hat. _I finally get my master back and I drag him into a fight. This really isn't my day._

"This way!" Aldamon urged, guiding everyone down a nearby tunnel. Sakkakumon slithered after them, keeping close behind.

"I wonder where this tunnel leads to!" Kazemon piped up after a bit of running.

"Just keep moving!" Kumamon urged.

Sakkakumon laughed, the sound echoing down the tunnel. "Thou art running to thy own demise!"

"Damn, if I have to listen to that annoying voice any longer….." Sorcermon pointed his staff behind him, still keeping up with the others. _"Ice Illusion!" _A flurry of snow slammed into Sakkakumon, who then became trapped in his own personal snowstorm. He shouted in surprise and growled in frustration, pausing as he tried to fight the storm.

"He's stopping!" Kumamon realized.

"Don't look back! Run!" Aldamon urged, the group picking up their pace. But after another few minutes of running, they found themselves in a large cavern with no way out besides the way they came through.

"Dead end! And time is up!" Sakkakumon laughed, his glow the only thing giving light in the cave. He levitated to the ceiling, gathering himself in a cluster and laughing down at his opponents. Bokomon and Neemon finally arrived, standing at the entrance to the cavern and panting as though they sprinted there.

"Milord, go wait with Bokomon." Sorcermon instructed, keeping an eye on Sakkakumon.

"But Sorcermon…." Patamon whimpered.

_He sounds so different as a child. It's almost hard to believe it's still Seraphimon. _Sorcermon noted. "Just go. Don't worry." Patamon gulped, but flapped his ears/wings and hurried to Bokomon's side. While Sakkakumon didn't attack Patamon, he suddenly stopped glowing and plunged everyone into total darkness.

"He disappeared!" Beetlemon whimpered.

"It's so dark! How can you tell?" Kazemon gulped.

"Stay calm and don't move." Sorcermon ordered. "The last thing we need is a panic."

Suddenly, Sakkakumon launched a bolt of lightning, lighting up the room briefly enough for the group to scatter to avoid the attack. But the darkness returned, not giving them the chance to find their enemy. A stream of fire came next, almost roasting the group alive. Once more, the darkness returned.

"He's gone again!" Beetlemon cried. "I can't see him!" He jumped when Sakkakumon appeared briefly behind him, but when he turned the Beast Warrior of Steel disappeared. He did the same to Kazemon, Kumamon, Sorcermon, and Aldamon, and fear began crawling up their spines. "Where's he gonna pop up next?" Beetlemon groaned.

"Who knows?" Kumamon gulped.

"So dark." Kazemon whimpered.

"Just stay calm." Sorcermon urged, his eyes beginning to adjust to the darkness. But he could only see the others when they moved, and often for only a moment.

"I can't see." Aldamon growled.

"I can."

Everyone tensed up with soft gasps at Sakkakumon's sinister voice echoing around them. "Ah, sweet darkness." The beast Digimon mused. "Let it embrace thee with its fear and loneliness. Yes….it controls thee now."

Sorcermon held his staff in both hands, ready to fight, but he couldn't deny that the darkness unnerved him. He didn't even like walking around the castle in the middle of the night. The first time he did, everything scared him so much he stumbled into a closet and got locked inside. When Cherubimon found him, he surprised the young Digimon so much it only made things worse. He couldn't force himself to leave his room at night for weeks afterwards.

Beetlemon suddenly let out a strangled yell, startling Sorcermon from his thoughts. But what really got him was Beetlemon's lightning attack that hit the Majin's foot. "_Ouch! _Beetlemon!" Sorcermon gripped his wounded foot, hopping a little on his uninjured one. His outburst caused Kumamon to suddenly fire multiple rounds of snowballs from his gun.

"Kumamon!" Kazemon yelped, the cold snow nailing her. "Stop! Stop it!"

"Everybody calm down! Just calm down!" Aldamon ordered. But he couldn't stop Kumamon from suddenly running around screaming while the rest of his friends began shouting.

"Whatever you're going to do, just do it!" Beetlemon pleaded. "But turn on the lights, will ya?!"

"Make it stop!" Kumamon screamed.

Patamon desperately tried to help, only for Kumamon to accidentally smack him out of the sky. Bokomon dove forward to catch the young Digimon. "Hey! What are you doing? He's just a baby!"

Sorcermon felt the vibrations of Kumamon's feet pounding on the ground as he ran, listening to the panting and screaming from the bear Digimon. The ice Majin reached an arm out and grabbed Kumamon as he crashed into him. Sorcermon stayed standing, keeping an arm around Kumamon. "Tommy, stop it!"

"Help me!" Kumamon screamed. "Please just stop it!"

"Somebody turn on the lights!" Kazemon begged.

"I can't take this!" Beetlemon shouted.

"_Everyone freeze!" _Sorcermon yelled, causing silence to spread across the cavern save for the echo of his voice. Sorcermon held up his staff, and the snowflake ornament began glowing.

"Much better." Aldamon sighed in relief. "Thanks, Sorcermon."

"It's not much." Kazemon noted, seeing how the glow only gave them a three foot radius of light. "But it's definitely better than the darkness."

"Why the heck didn't you do that sooner?!" Beetlemon shouted.

"I would've but I was too busy trying to calm you all down!" Sorcermon snapped, still keeping an arm around Kumamon as the bear hugged him. "You were all screaming bloody murder; I could hardly think!"

"Hey you were scared too!" Beetlemon snapped back.

"I wasn't scared. Your attack hit my foot!" Sorcermon looked to his shoes, one of which was smoking a little.

"You really need to get your priorities straight, buddy!" Beetlemon growled.

"And you need to calm down!" Sorcermon snapped. "If we don't keep our heads, Sakkakumon will take them off!"

"What an idea!"

Sorcermon turned just in time to see Sakkakumon appear behind him as the Beast Warrior of Steel launched another lightning attack, this one nailing Sorcermon in the back and sending him and Kumamon to the ground. The lights went out again.

"Sorcermon! Bring the light back!" Kumamon pleaded, the force of the blow jerking him away from the Majin.

Sorcermon felt around the ground, his eyes only seeing blackness. "I can't! I dropped my staff, I can't find it!"

"Man, why'd you have to choose _now _to be a butter fingers?" Beetlemon groaned.

"That's enough, J.P.!" Kazemon snapped.

"Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of fears." Sakkakumon's voice echoed in the darkness. "What's the matter? Scared of the dark?"

Beetlemon felt his anger and frustration hit the breaking point. "Why I—"

"Beetlemon, stop!" Aldamon ordered.

"Just because you can Fusion Evolve doesn't make you the boss here, got it?" Beetlemon shouted.

"He's right! You need to chill out!" Kumamon chimed in.

"Splendid!" Sakkakumon chuckled. "There's nothing like discord to depose a leader."

"We've never acted this way towards each other before." Kazemon said. "Why now?"

"There is a black, bottomless pit of doubt and fear within all of your hearts." Sakkakumon answered, much to Kazemon's annoyance.

"I'm not the coward here!" Beetlemon protested.

"You're the one who wanted to run away!" Kumamon snapped.

"Well _you're _the one who was trying to freeze us all!" Kazemon growled.

"Calm down, you guys!" Aldamon ordered.

"Self-doubt. Jealousy." Sakkakumon's voice echoed softly. "Betrayal. Now you will drown in the fear of your own darkness!"

"No!" Kazemon launched wind from her fingertips.

"Enough!" Kumamon shot snow from his mouth. The two attacks combined, the swirling tornado sending snow smacking into everyone's faces.

"You bloody coward!" Sorcermon shouted in the darkness. Sakkakumon's sinister chuckle echoed into the air, making everyone involuntarily cringe in fear.

_I'm afraid. _Kumamon trembled.

_I'm so scared. _Kazemon felt her knees shaking, ready to give out.

_I'm…..I'm….._ Beetlemon almost couldn't finish his thought.

_WHAM!_

Aldamon's tail suddenly smashed against the ground, the loud sound coupled with his shout. "Stop it!" Everyone jumped and looked towards the direction of the sound. They could barely see Aldamon's form in the darkness. But they didn't need to see him to know how upset he was. "No more fear!"

"But the dark!" Kazemon whimpered.

"Stop saying that!" Aldamon shouted. "With faith, we can win."

"Sorry, pal, but faith alone ain't gonna cut it here!" Beetlemon protested.

Aldamon's tone became calmer. "Listen to me! There's still only one of him."

"Yeah, but that hasn't stopped him from beating us so far, has it?" Beetlemon scoffed.

"That's really not helping." Sorcermon muttered.

"Close your eyes." Aldamon ordered softly. Everyone stared in the direction of his voice, making sounds of confusion. "I said close your eyes! All of you!" They jumped, but Kumamon, Kazemon, Sorcermon, and Beetlemon all shut their eyes and focused on the sound of Aldamon's voice. "We are not humans now. We're Digimon. Our senses are sharper than when we were in our human forms. You have to trust the Digimon inside of you."

"You're right." Kazemon breathed after a moment. "I can feel the strength, the power."

"Whether Human or Beast Digimon, ultimately we rely on our instincts to survive." Sorcermon said wisely. "When one of our senses is impaired, the rest of them become even more enhanced to make up for it. Don't focus on what you can't see; focus on what you can hear and feel and even smell. Feel the vibrations in the ground as your opponent moves; listen to everything around you, even the silence."

"But it's not silent." Kumamon whispered. "Can you hear it? It's breathing…I can hear Sakkakumon's breathing."

"I hear it." Beetlemon confirmed.

Aldamon reached out his hand, and Kazemon took it. She then took one of Sorcermon's hands, who took Kumamon's, who took Beetlemon's, who finally took Aldamon's other hand to complete their circle. Their eyes remained shut, but they no longer felt any fear.

"We are not alone." Aldamon said calmly. "Our power lies in the faith that we have in one another. Even if you can't Fusion Evolve, even if you think you're not strong enough alone, we can still use all of our attacks together."

"We can use our attacks…." Kazemon nodded.

"…..our strength….." Sorcermon said.

"…..all together….." Kumamon agreed.

"…..to win." Beetlemon said firmly.

"Right. Whenever you're finished." Sakkakumon's snide tone broke the moment. "I believe you have a little something to give me?"

Their eyes opened, ready to take on their enemy once more. Sakkakumon finally began glowing again, casting light throughout the room. Sorcermon noticed his staff on the ground near his feet and kicked the magical weapon up to his hands. The five Digimon warriors stood ready while Sakkakumon waited patiently for an attack to throw back at them.

"_Hurricane Wave!" "Blizzard Blaster!"_

Kumamon fired the snow into the wind, creating a snowy tornado that slammed into Sakkakumon but didn't come back like the previous attacks.

Sakkakumon looked thoroughly surprised. "Gadzooks! I don't have that attack in my records!"

"Of course you don't!" Aldamon boasted. "That attack has never been used before, buddy."

"It can't be!" Sakkakumon gasped, realizing what was happening.

"_Hurricane Wave!" "Thunder Fist!"_

This time, a lightning/wind attack hit Sakkakumon, shocking him in more ways than one.

"_Thunder Fist! Drowning Aquarius!"_

Sorcermon's water attack created the perfect channel to carry Beetlemon's lightning, once more electrocuting the Beast Warrior of Steel. Sakkakumon shouted in pain, realizing he couldn't reflect anything back to them.

"You stopped our attacks individually, but now that we're mixing our attacks you can't beat us!" Aldamon cried triumphantly. "You'll never steal our Spirits now! Our attacks have changed so you can't copy them! You're through, Sakkakumon!"

"You're wrong!" Sakkakumon cried desperately.

"Don't think so!" Aldamon countered. "The tables have turned here, and now _you're _the one who's afraid and left in the dark! Try to guess what we'll do next!"

Sakkakumon was shaking now with visible fear, unable to stand looking at his opponents' determined faces. "I'll still win! I can't lose…to the likes of you! I am superior! You little whelps can't defeat me! You will never survive my power!"

"You've run out of tricks, Sakkakumon." Sorcermon called. "Best surrender now before things get worse for you."

"Oh can it!" Sakkakumon shifted, shooting wind, lightning, and fire towards the group. Each attack was effortlessly dodged.

"We're not gonna run!" Aldamon declared. "And we're not afraid! And together, we'll destroy you once and for all!"

"You will never stop me!" Sakkakumon's shifting became frantic.

Aldamon noticed something as Sakkakumon moved. _The center orb! He's never attacked us from there. It's always been covered up! That must be where he controls all the data he's been storing. If we could get him to stop moving, even for just a second, it might give me a clear shot at it. _"I have an idea. Can you guys hold him still for a while?"

"You all attack and I'll freeze him in place." Sorcermon said. Kazemon, Kumamon, and Beetlemon nodded, readying their attacks.

"_Blizzard Blaster!"_

"_Thunder Fist!"_

"_Hurricane Wave!"_

The massive, three-power attack rammed into Sakkakumon, forcing him to pause in his shifting. Sorcermon pushed a palm forward, and ice spread rapidly across Sakkakumon's form to keep him in place. "Aldamon! Now!"

Aldamon's arm guns fired up. _"Atomic Inferno!" _He shot the attack, and Sakkakumon shouted in pain as his fractal code appeared around him. "Time for some purification. Fractal code, digitize!" Aldamon summoned his D-Tector, scanning Sakkakumon's data and gaining the Beast Warrior of Steel. Mercurymon's Digi-Egg appeared, flying off to be reborn. The darkness returned, but Sorcermon lit up his wand again to cast a soft glow over everyone.

"We did it!" Kazemon cheered.

"Finally." Beetlemon sighed.

"We conquered our fears and beat him as a team!" Kumamon cheered. Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon had their own little celebration, overjoyed by the victory. The gang made their way back through the tunnel and to the surface once more, the DigiDestined dedigivolving.

"You all did very well." Sorcermon noted, sounding proud. "After all that screaming, of course." The others laughed warmly.

"Once I realized I wasn't alone, the darkness wasn't scary." Zoe sighed.

"I know what you mean." Tommy agreed.

"That's what real friends are for." J.P. nodded.

"Speaking of friends, we gotta find Kouji." Takuya urged, the others nodding in agreement.

"I'm sure he'll be all right until we find him." Sorcermon assured. "It _is _Kouji we're talking about."


	17. Episode 30

**A/N: Allow me to apologize profusely for making it seem like I abandoned this story. I kind of went through some stressful times in my life, and my inspiration was a little in and out for a while. You may have noticed I was working on another story lately. It was supposed to be that I would work on both at once, but it's becoming increasingly difficult to do so. I am almost done with my other story, and once I'm done I can devote my time to this story. Then when this is done I can finish another story I reluctantly put on hiatus.**

**Until then, and to thank you for your patience, here is this chapter!**

* * *

**Episode 30**

Sorcermon tensed a little, looking off into the distance. _Kouji…I can sense it, he's in quite a major fight. No doubt with Duskmon; he's the only Digimon I can think of who could put Kouji on edge so much, or put up a good enough fight. So much for Kouji being all right._

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Patamon suddenly began flapping his bat-wing ears, hovering in the air. He looked as eager as ever to get moving.

"We'd love to, but we kinda have to know _where_." J.P. noted.

"Yes, let's not go rushing off in all directions." Bokomon advised, seeing how nobody knew which way Kouji could've gone.

"You can do that?" Neemon asked.

"Let's see." Bokomon pulled on the waistband of Neemon's pants, snapping the strap against the yellow Digimon.

"We spend half our time in this world wandering around lost." J.P. crossed his arms, looking annoyed.

"Let's just pick a direction and get moving." Takuya suggested.

"I pick this way!" Patamon called, beginning to fly off.

"Works for me." Takuya agreed. "Beats standing around yakking."

"Are we sure this is the right way to go?" Zoe asked.

"Don't worry; I know where we're going." Sorcermon assured.

"You mean you know where to find Kouji?" Tommy asked. "How?"

"Let's just call it a sixth sense and leave it at that." Sorcermon shrugged a little, keeping perfect pace with Patamon's flying. The others exchanged looks, a little confused but not finding a reason to argue with Sorcermon. They walked for several minutes before finding themselves in a small forest area, no sign of Kouji anywhere. Zoe suggested they stop to rest for a moment, giving her and J.P. a chance to Spirit Evolve and fly above the trees to search for their missing friend. Patamon took that moment to rest himself on Sorcermon's head again, putting on the Majin's hat only for the cloth to fall over his eyes. Everyone laughed amusedly, but Sorcermon's mind wandered.

_Duskmon. There's something about you. Something I could feel whenever I'm near you._ Sorcermon mused. _It's like there's a calmer spirit within you. But how? How could that be? Why do I sense the spirit of another…person…..inside you? _He thought back to when he tackled Duskmon, trying to stall him so the others could run. He didn't think about it much at the time, but he could remember something. Amidst the shouting and burning, he could hear the sound of a young boy screaming. But it didn't sound like Tommy or Takuya or J.P. or Kouji. It sounded like it came from within Duskmon himself. _But that can't be possible. Duskmon…who or what are you?_

"Dying of curiosity down here!" Takuya's shout caused Sorcermon to jump a little.

"Sorry! Nothing." Kazemon reported. "I'm out of ideas. What about you, Beetlemon?"

"Kouji could be anywhere." Beetlemon sighed, worried. "Or nowhere."

Patamon suddenly flapped his wings again, dropping Sorcermon's hat back on his head before flying off. "Milord, where are you going?" Sorcermon asked as he faithfully followed the young Digimon.

"Patamon, you're too young to be flying off on your own." Bokomon scolded.

"You might get more lost than us!" Neemon added.

"But the Light Boy's this way!" Patamon protested, still flying. The others stared after him and Sorcermon as Kazemon and Beetlemon dedigivolved.

Takuya blinked in confusion. "The huh?"

"The Light Boy! The Light Boy, the Light Boy, buddy!" Patamon called, not pausing for a moment.

"Are you all coming or not?" Sorcermon asked, still walking beside Patamon.

"You're only encouraging him, Sorcermon!" Bokomon half-snapped.

Sorcermon rolled his eyes, only half-listening to the others behind him. "You believe me, right Sorcermon?" Patamon asked. "The Light Boy's this way! It's all bright this way!"

"He _is_ this way. That I know for sure." Sorcermon nodded. "I can sense his location."

"Really?" Patamon asked in awe. "How?"

Sorcermon looked back to see the others jogging to catch up. "It's a secret. Nobody can know about it."

"Oh. Okay!" Patamon nodded happily. The others managed to catch up, walking with Sorcermon and Patamon as they continued on. No one really knew if they were going in the right direction, but it was better than standing around guessing.

"Hey, are we really going the right way?" Takuya asked.

"Yes." Sorcermon said simply.

"How do you know?" Zoe asked curiously. "Can you sense it or something?"

"Yes." Sorcermon replied, hoping they wouldn't push it.

"But how?" Tommy asked innocently.

Patamon remembered what Sorcermon said and noticed the ice Majin didn't seem very keen on talking about it. "He's magic, silly!" the hamster-like Digimon piped up. "He can do anything!"

"That makes about as much sense as anything in this world." Takuya shrugged. "Well, if you two really know where you're going, we'll follow you."

"We'll find Kouji in no time." Sorcermon assured. _Let's just hope he can hold his own until we get there._

"At least we have some entertainment watching Patamon try to fly." J.P. mused, raising an eyebrow at Patamon as the young Digimon flew.

"J.P." Zoe intoned, frowning.

"I'm just saying I didn't know anyone could waddle and fly at the same time." J.P. shrugged.

"J.P.!" Zoe repeated.

"I can do anything I want!" Patamon assured.

"You think maybe you could do it a little faster?" Takuya said, seeing how everyone walked quite slowly to keep Patamon ahead of them. Then again, with everything they went through recently, a slow and steady walk came as a warm welcome despite the dreary atmosphere of the Continent of Darkness.

"Sure!" Patamon replied to Takuya's request. "Here it goes! Wheeeee!" He flapped his wings harder, but hardly picked up any speed.

"Yeah, whee." Takuya groaned.

"I'd hate to see him in slow-motion." J.P. sighed.

"Well if either of you know which way to go, lead the way." Sorcermon offered. Takuya and J.P. huffed, but didn't say another word.

"Patamon, I'll be happy to carry you if you point us in the right direction." Zoe offered.

"I know where to go as well. You don't need to push yourself." Sorcermon added.

"No way! This is fun!" Patamon said with a wide smile. "I'm flying like the wind!"

Sorcermon cracked a smile. _He's certainly a bit of a contrast from the Seraphimon I remember. _Suddenly, Patamon paused, staring ahead. Then, quite abruptly, he did a hairpin turn and sped towards Sorcermon, diving under the Majin's hat and quivering. Sorcermon stared up at him worriedly. "My lord?"

"What's wrong?" Bokomon asked.

Patamon peered tentatively out of the pointed hat. "A bad thing's coming."

Everyone stared at the young Digimon. "A bad thing?" J.P. repeated nervously.

"What do you mean?" Tommy asked.

Patamon gulped, whimpering a bit as he pointed ahead. "That."

Everyone turned to stare into the distance. "Could you be more specific?" Neemon asked. Not a second later, a column of dark clouds shot from the ground a few miles away, a face flickering in the shadows. "I'm sorry I asked!" Neemon gulped. Everyone started worriedly, tensing up as shots of who-knows-what flew into the sky.

Sorcermon gasped softly. _I can feel it…..the change in energy, that aura…I haven't felt it in years, but I could never forget it. _"Cherubimon…." He breathed, so softly not even Patamon heard him.

Suddenly, black spires rained down onto the group, sending up dust and forcing them to the ground, darkness encasing their vision.

* * *

Takuya woke first, groaning in pain. Looking up, he discovered the black spires that rained down embedded themselves into the earth, creating a wall of spires that encircled the group. The tops of the spires met to completely encase the team. "Is everybody all right?"

"I think so." Tommy sounded shaken.

"So far." Zoe chimed in.

"Mostly." Neemon gulped.

"Where are we?" Zoe asked, causing the others to finally get a look at their surroundings.

"How did this thing get here?" J.P. whimpered.

"How, I couldn't begin to tell you." Bokomon said. "But it's obvious we've been sealed in by someone who doesn't like us."

"Bad thing." Patamon piped up, finally crawling out from under Sorcermon's hat.

Sorcermon tapped one of the spires with his staff. "Obsidian. Won't be easy to break."

"Well I'm sorry, but that's just too bad." Takuya frowned. "I'm not gonna stay stuck in this place like a rat in a trap. How about you guys?" The rest of the DigiDestined nodded in agreement.

"_Execute Fusion Evolution!"_

"_Execute Spirit Evolution!"_

"_Aldamon!"_

"_Kazemon!"_

"_Beetlemon!"_

"_Kumamon!"_

The four DigiDestined flew up towards the top of the spires, where they assumed it would be the weakest, and let loose their attacks. But though the four attacks combined were powerful, they only resulted in a cloud of smoke and nothing more.

"Man!" Aldamon groaned. "What's up with this wall?"

"With all of us working together, we didn't even dent this stupid thing!" Kazemon growled.

"There must be _some _way out of here." Sorcermon mused.

"Gotta dig! Gotta dig! Gotta dig! Gotta dig, dig, dig!" Patamon chanted, burrowing into the earth and sending dirt flying. Bokomon grimaced as some of the dirt splattered into his face.

"Playing in the dirt, isn't that cute?" Neemon cooed.

"Patamon, really, what on earth are you doing?" Bokomon demanded.

Patamon turned and smiled broadly. "Silly! I'm trying to dig a tunnel!"

"A tunnel?" Bokomon blinked.

"Of course!" Aldamon realized.

"If the wall is only ground-level…." Kazemon started.

"Then we can dig right under it!" Kumamon finished.

"I take back everything I said about him earlier!" Beetlemon said.

"The spires came down from the sky, so they couldn't have gotten very deep down." Sorcermon guessed. "We'll be able to crawl right under them!"

Patamon smiled proudly, quickly resuming his digging.

* * *

He stood in a vast landscape he couldn't quite describe. It looked like some sort of dream world filled with clouds. He felt a twinge of fear, but it was quickly overshadowed by his curiosity.

"Hello?" He called softly. "Is someone here? Anyone?" The emptiness was beginning to unnerve him, but he suddenly spotted a figure in the shadows that looked familiar. "P-Papa? You _are _my dad, right? Papa, can I—" He started towards the figure, but the man suddenly turned into a cloud and disappeared. He gasped softly, jumping back. Another figure appeared, again familiar only much more than the figure before. "Grandma?" He gasped again as the second figure also turned to a cloud and disappeared. "Grandma!"

_This is getting ridiculous. Where am I? What's going on here?_

A light hit his eyes, and he squinted in the brightness to see yet another familiar figure. "Kouji. You're Kouji, right?" He reached for the raven-haired boy, walking towards the figure shrouded in light. "Kouji….I wanted…to meet you…." Dark clouds began rolling in, starting to separate him from Kouji. "I know you don't know me, and I know it sounds a little weird, but I know you!" Suddenly, the clouds began to fully cover Kouji from his sight, and he began running in desperation. "No, don't go! Kouji, don't leave me!" But the light suddenly became snuffed out, and Kouji turned into a cloud and disappeared.

_He left me…..he left me….he _left _me!_

He collapsed to his knees, tears streaming down his face. First, he felt despair and loneliness and sadness. Then, anger bubbled up in his chest. "Why won't anyone pay attention to me?!" He shouted into the darkness. "Pay attention to me."

"_You have _my _attention, boy." _A deep, growling voice echoed through the darkness. _"The darkness in your heart drew me straight to you. Your loneliness and sadness, your angry soul, it's like honey to me. Sweet pain…darkness."_

He perked up. "Darkness?"

"_I like you." _The voice said.

Winds suddenly picked up, and he spun around. "Who are you?" He shouted, but stared in surprise at a strange, totem-like object floating behind him.

"_I am the one who will set you free. I will release the darkness in your heart and it will give you great power. You will become one with this Spirit of Darkness."_

Duskmon screamed.

* * *

Takuya pushed through the earth and found it gave way to open air. He poked his head out of the newly made tunnel, peering around to see they succeeded in digging their way out of the spire cage. "Yeah baby!"

"Takuya, are we out yet?" Sorcermon called from inside the tunnel.

"Yeah, some of us are getting claustrophobic down here!" J.P. complained.

"What's claustrophobic?" Tommy asked.

"Let me out!" Patamon called. He, Bokomon, and Neemon tried to push their way through, only to get stuck along with Takuya in the smaller opening.

"Great." Sorcermon sighed. "We'll never get out of here."

Suddenly, a monstrous sound echoed throughout the land. The roar/shout mix made the earth, especially the spires, shake and tremble. Everyone darted out of the tunnel and onto solid ground, thoroughly spooked by the sudden sound. As quickly as it came, the roar died to nothing.

"What-what was that?" Zoe whimpered.

"Something big?" Tommy guessed.

"Something big, he says." J.P. scoffed. "How about huge? That can't be a Digimon."

"Of course it can, young man. Haven't you learned _anything _in this world?" Bokomon said. "Have you forgotten Sakkakumon so soon?"

"I haven't." Takuya assured, pushing himself to his feet. "Let's get going. We gotta help Kouji." Suddenly, the ground began shaking beneath everyone's feet. "What's that?"

Sorcermon started as an enormous dust cloud erupted in the distance. "Kouji. He's in trouble!"

"Why is it never just an earthquake?" J.P. groaned.

"Kouji….." Takuya breathed. _If anything's happened to him….. _He took off, the others close beside him. They charged towards the dust cloud and prayed their friend was still alive.

* * *

Kouji didn't think things could get much worse after Cherubimon attacked him. That is, until he saw Velgemon. The Beast Warrior of Darkness was terrifying enough to look at, but his attack almost obliterated the Warrior of Light in a single strike. Even after barely making it out, the shockwave forced him to the ground and his fatigue finally kicked in a dedigivolution. The raven-haired boy stared weakly up at Velgemon as the monstrous bird-like Digimon lunged down, talons ready to rip him apart.

_Isn't this the time when that little Sparky thing comes and saves me? _Kouji thought. _Or is he too tired or hurt from the last fight? Either way, if I don't do something, I'm dead! _He struggled to push himself upright, only for a burst of pain to force him down again. His D-Tector slipped from his pocket. The screen began to glow, and Ophanimon's symbol appeared.

A shot of light burst from the D-Tector, hitting Velgemon's center eye and forcing him to stop, his talons coming inches away from Kouji.

"_You must remember now." _Ophanimon's voice echoed in the air around them. _"Remember. Remember your life in the Human World, Velgemon."_

"What does she mean, the Human World?" Kouji murmured. "Could that thing still be human?"

Velgemon paused. "I….was in the Human World?"

"_You _must _remember." _Ophanimon said. _"It is time."_

* * *

_A boy sat beside a hospital bed, holding his grandmother's hand and praying she could get better. He wore beige khaki pants, green and yellow sneakers, a long-sleeved red shirt, and a short-sleeved dark green polo shirt currently unbuttoned. His blue baseball cap, which would normally rest on his mop of raven hair, rested on the bed. The rhythmic beeping of the heart monitor seemed to taunt him, reminding him of what little time his loved one had left. He tried to not focus on that but instead the warmth of the hand he held._

"_Kouichi…."_

_The boy perked up at his name. "What? What is it, Grandma?"_

_The elder took the boy's hand in both of hers. "You need to know, Kouichi. You have a brother."_

_Kouichi gasped softly, his dark indigo eyes widening. _A brother? How could that be?

"_You must find Kouji…." The elderly woman rasped._

"_Kouji…." Kouichi breathed. _My brother…

* * *

Velgemon….Kouichi…..screamed, the memories coming back in a rush.

Watching Kouji on the train.

Following him through the station, desperate to talk to him.

Only able to murmur his twin's name, not able to find the strength to shout.

Sprinting towards the elevator, but hitting the doors instead as his brother disappeared.

Flying down the stairs, praying he could reach the bottom before Kouji did.

Losing his footing.

A moment of weightlessness.

His hat flying off.

Slamming into the cold tile floor.

"_Kouji…"_

Darkness.

* * *

Kouichi stared, wide-eyed and shocked still.

Kouji…..

Velgemon groaned, as though in pain, as confusion overtook whatever emotions he felt at that point. Roaring in despair, he flapped his wings and took off, ignoring Kouji's desperate (albeit concerned) shouts.


	18. Episode 31

**Episode 31**

Kouji stared after Velgemon, a range of emotions waging war in his heart. "Duskmon…who are you?" The question seemed almost meaningless now, given he had yet to receive an answer. But something compelled him to continue thinking about this Warrior of Darkness. Was it because they were opposites? Or maybe they were more alike than he thought.

"Kouji!"

The raven-haired boy turned as Takuya called his name, and he caught sight of the rest of his friends hurrying up to him.

"Are you okay?" Takuya asked worriedly.

"Yeah." Kouji said softly, still a little shaken from Velgemon almost crushing him.

"That's good news." Zoe said gratefully.

"Yeah, we all heard that huge explosion and thought that maybe you were in it." Tommy said.

"Well I kinda was." Kouji admitted.

"You were?" Takuya blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"It was Velgemon." Kouji explained. "He used Cherubimon's power to evolve from Duskmon and attack."

_So that _was _Cherubimon I felt before. _Sorcermon realized. _But why is he so attached to Duskmon? What could he want with him that he couldn't get from the other Legendary Warriors who followed him?_

"Man, I'm sick of that guy!" Takuya huffed.

"At least he's gone, Takuya." Sorcermon said calmly. He looked to Kouji. "Whatever happened during your battle, he either got bored or was scared off. Well done, Kouji."

"My boy, there aren't many who could stand up to Velgemon and still walk away!" Bokomon complimented. "I'm flabbergasted!"

"Gesundheit." Neemon said.

"Yeah, I guess." Kouji said. _It was really more Ophanimon than me. If I weren't for her, I'd have been finished!_

"Well hello there!" Patamon greeted as he flew over, leaping onto Kouji's chest and forcing the boy to almost hug him to keep him up.

"And who are you?" Kouji asked, staring at the hamster-like Digimon.

"I'm Patamon!" Patamon introduced.

"He hatched out of Seraphimon's Digi-Egg." Takuya explained.

"So, really it's because of him that you were able to Fusion Evolve to Beowolfmon." Zoe added.

"So that's what it was." Kouji smiled down at Patamon. "Thanks, little guy."

"It's my pleasure!" Patamon said happily, his big blue eyes shining.

"I can't believe I can finally say this, but now that Kouji's here we can head to the Rose Morning Star!" Bokomon announced.

"Yeah!" Takuya agreed. "So let's get it in gear, guys!"

"Finally." Sorcermon sighed.

"Hey, I've been ready this entire time." J.P. shrugged.

"Yeah, ready to eat." Takuya laughed, Zoe and Tommy joining in.

Sorcermon glanced at Kouji, who kept staring off into the distance with an intense look. _Something about that look makes me nervous for some reason. What could he possibly be thinking about?_

"What does she mean?" Kouji murmured, so softly only Patamon heard him. Then, Kouji gasped softly and hurriedly pushed Patamon into Zoe's arms before taking off.

"Hey, where are you going?" Takuya called. "Kouji, come back!" But Kouji kept running, either not hearing them or not listening.

"Wait!" Sorcermon easily caught up to Kouji before the boy could go too quickly and grabbed his arm, pulling Kouji to a halt. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to find Duskmon." Kouji said, trying to pull his arm free.

"Kouji, you barely made it out alive and you think I'm just going to let you—" Sorcermon couldn't finish his sentence as Kouji suddenly grabbed his wrist and swept at his legs, forcing the Majin to let go as he hit the ground. Kouji took off again, disappearing from view. Sorcermon stood, glaring a little in irritation. "What is he thinking?"

"Man, we're never going to get to the Rose Morning Star now." J.P. complained.

"He was thinking hard about something." Patamon said.

"Yeah, probably planning is escape from us." J.P. huffed.

"Whatever he's thinking, he thinks he needs to do it alone." Sorcermon mused as he returned to the group. _Why is Duskmon so important to him all of a sudden? And why hasn't Duskmon been able to finish him off?_

"When will he learn that he can't solve his problems all by himself?" Takuya groaned. "I'm gonna go get him." The others stared at him, a bit surprised. "Why are you looking at me like that? Just wait here; I'll be back before you know it."

"Takuya, we really shouldn't be splitting up." Sorcermon advised. "We ran into all sorts of trouble in Sakkakumon."

"Yeah but now we only have Duskmon to worry about." Takuya reasoned. "And I'd rather follow Kouji to make sure he has some backup."

"But you can't leave too." Tommy protested. "We should go with you."

"Yeah, it's just like a scary movie." J.P. added.

Everyone stared at the blue-clothed boy. "It's like a what?" Takuya asked.

"Never forget the horror movie rule: the Boogeyman strikes when no one can hear you scream!" J.P. said, trying to sound wise. "That's what happens every time someone goes off on their own. Forget the rule, and you're toast."

The others gave a mix of unamused looks. Sorcermon pinched the space between his eyes in irritation. "J.P., I have heard quite a few horror stories in my life, and even I will admit that sounds completely ridiculous."

"Just you wait: you'll be next." J.P. huffed.

"Does it look like I'm laughing?" Takuya snapped.

"Why would you?" J.P. snapped back. "I'm being serious!"

"Yeah, well I'll take my chances with the Boogeyman." Takuya crossed his arms in defiance.

Zoe could see a potential argument forming. "Come on, guys. Let's not fight over nothing."

Takuya smiled. "Zoe's right. There's no need to get all riled up. You guys wait here and I'll just go get him and be back in a jiffy."

"Takuya, perhaps you should stay with the others." Sorcermon suggested. "I'll go look for Kouji."

"I'd feel better if you were with everyone, Sorcermon." Takuya said. "Besides, you _did _say you wanted to protect us."

"It's hard to protect you if we're not all here." Sorcermon noted.

"That's why I'm going to find Kouji and bring him back." Takuya said. "I have to be the one to get him." He looked down. "I feel like…I haven't been there for him…when I know I should be. I mean, we're all friends, right? And my last huge mistake almost got him and you killed. I want Kouji to know I'm there for him, that we're _all _there for him. That's why I need you guys to wait here and be ready to welcome him back."

Sorcermon stared at the boy. "Takuya….."

"I'll be right back and I'll stay safe. I promise." Takuya turned and took off after Kouji, soon disappearing from view.

"It's okay, Sorcermon." Zoe said. "Takuya has the power of Aldamon on his side. He'll be fine."

"Yeah, stick around with us. Takuya will take care of it." Tommy assured.

Sorcermon sighed. "Very well."

Zoe nodded in approval. "Well, I guess that's that. Why don't we just go ahead and make dinner?" Tommy, Neemon, Bokomon, and Patamon voiced their agreements, sounding excited.

"Z, you can't be serious." J.P. whined. "Listen, I'm not gonna hang around here just because Takuya says we should. No sir-ee!"

"Oh boy." Zoe rolled her eyes.

"J.P., we're all tired from everything that's happened." Sorcermon said. "Take advantage of this moment of peace. We won't see another one for a while."

"And we can't leave! Takuya told us to stay here." Tommy added.

"If Takuya told you to shave your head and run around in circles, would you do it?" J.P. asked. He pulled out his D-Tector. "Besides, remember these? We can take care of ourselves if there's trouble."

"But we can't just take off and leave Kouji and Takuya." Zoe protested.

"Well duh, Zoe." J.P. huffed. "I never said we should go to the Rose Morning Star by ourselves or anything like that. But we don't have to sit here doing nothing."

"So what do you want to do?" Tommy asked.

"A scouting mission!" J.P. declared.

"A scouting mission?" the others asked at once.

"To get information." J.P. explained. "Don't you wonder what the Rose Morning Star is? We should know what to expect when we get there. I'll bet that if we look, there are some Digimon around here who know something about it."

"Are you completely mad?!" Bokomon cried. "I'm beginning to think that all of you _want _to be destroyed!"

"I think _this _is what I'm here for." J.P. said, fists clenching in determination. "Seriously, I've been thinking that each one of us has a certain purpose in this world. Maybe that's true of any world. But I've never been able to figure _mine _out."

The others stared at J.P., amazed by his sudden bout of wisdom. "I think he has a point." Patamon said.

"I really hated it at first when everyone but me found their Spirits right away and were able to evolve." J.P. continued, seeming to talk mostly to himself. "It was like being held back a year in school. I felt useless, you know? Like I was only here with you guys by mistake. And then when Kouji and Takuya got his new kind of evolution, I was happy for them. I really was; but at the same time, I couldn't help wondering why it couldn't have been _me _who got it. But after a while I realized maybe there are things only those guys can do. Which means there are only things _I _can do. I think that this is one of them!"

"Hold on!" Tommy protested.

"What's wrong now?" J.P. asked.

"You're not going without me!" Tommy said firmly.

"Tommy, I don't know…." J.P. said worriedly.

"Young man, what are you talking about?" Bokomon demanded. "I thought you were on _my _side here!"

"No, you're not going!" Zoe said suddenly.

"All right!" Bokomon cheered.

"But Zoe….." J.P. protested.

"You're not going anywhere unless you take me with you!" Zoe said with a smile, causing smiles from her friends.

Bokomon, though, looked to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "Oh beans! Sorcermon, tell them how crazy they are!"

"If they're crazy, I am as well." Sorcermon shrugged a little. "I'm going with them."

"What?!" Bokomon cried.

"My lord, come along please." Sorcermon said, Patamon cheering as he flew up to the ice Majin.

"Actually, you guys should wait here." Zoe said. "If Kouji and Takuya come back before we do, they need to know where we went. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon you stay here."

"Aw, really?" Patamon whined softly.

"It'll be safer if you stay here." Tommy assured. "Sorcermon can stay with you if you'd like."

"Yay!" Patamon cheered.

Sorcermon tensed a bit, looking conflicted. "But…..um…" He looked back and forth between Tommy and Patamon.

"Don't worry, Sorcermon." Tommy assured with a wide smile. "I have both of my Spirits, remember? I can fight if I need to. You should stay here and make sure these guys are all right."

"Well yes, of course." Sorcermon nodded small. "I just…." He stared at the ground. _Why do I feel so conflicted? What is it about leaving Tommy alone that seems to unnerving? It's like a knot in my stomach._

"It's all right, Sorcermon." Tommy said, suddenly hugging the Majin with a smile. When he pulled away, he was still smiling. "You should spend some time with Patamon for now. I mean, you just got your master back; you should take the time to get to know him again and get used to him being a kid."

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Patamon said excitedly, flapping his wings and plopping down on Sorcermon's head. "Please stay with us, Sorcermon? Please?" He gave his best, biggest pleading eyes.

Sorcermon blinked, then sighed almost in defeat. "Very well." He looked to Tommy. "Be careful, all right?"

Tommy nodded. "You bet!" He, Zoe, and J.P. took off, bidding their friends farewell. The four Digimon stared after them.

"Be safe…" Sorcermon breathed.

* * *

Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. started off running, but once the excitement and adrenaline wore off they decided to walk the rest of the time. The land seemed to turn barren save for random rocks and patches of grass. After several minutes, they realized they couldn't find any Digimon whatsoever. But J.P. spotted some Trailmon tracks and they decided to follow them. But several more minutes of walking later, they began to feel the slightest hints of boredom.

"You guys think we should've had the others come with us?" Tommy asked.

"I thought we said we wanted them to wait in case Kouji or Takuya returned." Zoe said. "Besides, we'll be okay."

"I guess it just feels weird to not have Sorcermon around." Tommy shrugged.

"You two really get along, huh?" J.P. noted. "I mean, he seems to like you a little more than the rest of us."

"Yeah, I like Sorcermon." Tommy nodded. "He's like a big brother, only he's a little nicer than my brother Yutaka."

"I wonder why you guys hit it off so well." Zoe mused. "I know you're both connected to ice and snow, but that can't be the only reason. I mean, you two seemed to connect minutes after we left Seraphimon's palace."

Tommy stared at the sky. "Well, maybe it's because we're almost the same. Like our personality and pasts."

"What do you mean?" Zoe asked.

"Yeah, it's not like you two met before or something." J.P. scoffed.

"Well, I used to always think I was in the way and never useful for anything." Tommy explained. "I thought I was just a little kid who needed to be taken care of. Sorcermon's the same way, right? He's always thinking he has to do things on his own and he doesn't think he's all that important. But I'm learning to stand up for myself. And I'll bet Sorcermon will learn someday that he's really important to us."

"I think you're one of the reasons he's learning that." Zoe said. "You keep reminding him."

"Yeah, the way you're always looking out for him and that promise he made, it just shows how well you two get along." J.P. agreed.

Tommy smiled warmly. _Sorcermon. I'm never going to let you get hurt. And I won't let anyone call you worthless._

* * *

Sorcermon, Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon soon accepted the DigiDestined leaving them. Bokomon complained for a while longer, but managed to get over it quickly enough. Sorcermon left for the woods and returned with food for everyone. After eating, they tried to pass the time as best they could. Sorcermon meditated peacefully; Neemon slept; Patamon practiced his flying; Bokomon mostly just sat on the ground and grumbled about the "foolishness of human children."

Finally, after several minutes of their current activities, Patamon sighed. He flapped down towards Bokomon and rested on the wooden fence behind the white Digimon. "Papa-mon, I'm bored." The young Digimon whined.

"Why don't you fly a bit more?" Bokomon suggested.

"I'm tired of flying." Patamon protested.

"Well, what do you want to do then?" Bokomon asked.

"Let's play!" Patamon requested happily.

"Play?" Neemon asked excitedly as he woke up. "Oh boy! What are we playing?"

"We could play ball." Patamon suggested.

"Yes, but there's no ball." Bokomon pointed out.

"We could use a rock."

"Someone could get hurt throwing that around. How about tag?"

"No."

"Hide and go seek?"

"No."

"I Spy?"

"No."

"Well then what on earth do you want to do?"

"Something fun!"

Bokomon sighed tiredly. Neemon giggled. "Not so easy being a Mommy, huh?" Bokomon frowned and snapped the yellow Digimon's waistband, causing Neemon to yelp in pain.

Patamon sighed. "This is really boring."

Sorcermon had mostly been only listening to the conversation, still meditating as he did, but now he cracked and eye open to glance over at Patamon. The little hamster-like Digimon looked quite dejected over the lack of entertainment. Sorcermon opened his eyes fully, looking to the ground and thinking for a moment. An idea clicked in his head.

Patamon sighed again, staring off into space. Had he known they would be doing nothing this entire time, he would've asked to join Tommy, J.P., and Zoe in their scouting mission. He sighed yet again, an action that seemed to be his only entertainment, when he noticed his breath come out in a small cloud. Something cold and white floated before his eyes before settling on his nose, and he looked up with a soft gasp. Then, his face broke out into smiles.

"_It's snowing!" _He cheered, startling Bokomon and Neemon. But when they looked up they discovered a large, white cloud resting several feet above their heads. Snow fell steadily, sticking to the ground with ease as it began to build up. Glancing over to Sorcermon, they could see the ice Majin hadn't really moved much. But he looked sheepish.

"Sorcermon, did you do this?" Bokomon asked.

Sorcermon rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Well, I _am _an ice Majin. And everyone seemed so bored so I thought I'd offer something to make the time pass faster. I didn't know what else I could do, but—"

"This is amazing!" Patamon whooped and laughed, flying about and catching snowflakes in his mouth. "Come on, Sorcermon! Let's play! We'll make snowmen and snow angels and have snowball fights and….and….." He laughed and whooped, flying all around in a hyperactive frenzy.

Sorcermon stared at his master, blinking a few times. Bokomon noticed the look. "Something wrong, Sorcermon?"

Sorcermon sighed a little. "He's changed. I look at him and I imagine Seraphimon, but I keep forgetting he's so young now. He has the mind of a child."

"He _is _a child." Bokomon reminded him. "Rest assured, he'll grow up and digivolve to Seraphimon again. Until then, you might as well get used to this."

Sorcermon stared at Patamon for a moment. "I suppose I could try."

"Come on, Sorcermon!" Patamon laughed, beginning to roll a ball of snow across the ground. "Let's build a snowman!"

Sorcermon allowed himself to smile a little. "All right. Let's do it." He rested his staff on the ground, creating another snowball to roll across the ground. Neemon and Bokomon quickly joined in. Within minutes, they formed a tall snowman in the middle of their circle of snow. Patamon picked up some nearby rocks for the snowman's face, sneakily snatching Sorcermon's hat and placing it on top to finish the work of snow art. The four Digimon stood back to admire their work, Patamon clapping happily.

"Wasn't that fun?" Patamon laughed.

"I can't even remember the last time I built a snowman." Sorcermon admitted.

"Really?" Neemon asked. "Even with your snow powers?"

"Never found the time." Sorcermon shrugged. "Besides, it's almost too easy for me." To prove his point, Sorcermon began swirling the snow around them. The snow bent to his will, creating a perfectly sculpted snow figure that looked like Patamon.

The child Digimon's jaw dropped. "That was so cool!"

"That's what everyone tells me." Sorcermon said. "I've been doing it for so long it's like second nature."

"It's still cool!" Patamon laughed. "I bet you're good in a snowball fight."

"I'm what most would call an 'unfair advantage.'" Sorcermon said. He yelped a bit when a snow nailed his head, and he looked towards Patamon as the young Digimon whistled innocently. "My lord, I absolutely _refuse _to strike you, even with a snowball."

Patamon huffed. "Okay. Let's hit Papa-mon then!"

"What?!" Bokomon hardly had time to react before another snowball from Patamon hit him. "Oh, _now _you're going to get it!" He scooped up some snow and launched it, only for the snow to miss Patamon and sail towards Neemon, who fell backwards as the snow splatted into his face. Neemon laughed, throwing snow back at Bokomon. Bokomon ducked and threw another snowball, this one missing both Patamon and Neemon and hitting Sorcermon squarely in the face. Bokomon gulped, chuckling nervously as Sorcermon sighed in slight irritation. He brushed the snow from his bangs and suddenly pushed his hands forward. The snow at his feet shot up and instantly buried Bokomon. From there, the snowball fight only escalated amongst the four Digimon. In the midst of the fight, the snowman and snow-Patamon either became dismantled or crushed in the flurry of snow. To Bokomon's and Neemon's surprise, Sorcermon actually began laughing along with them and Patamon. Though sounding foreign at first (seeing how they never heard such a sound from the calm albeit somber Digimon), they couldn't deny it was nice to see Sorcermon showing a lighter side to his personality and actually enjoy himself. The snowball fight deescalated down to where the four Digimon decided to make a few more snowmen and some snow angels. The snow from the cloud fell on-and-off, depending on what they needed. Sorcermon stopped it after a while, allowing the cloud to disappear, but not a second later Patamon threw another snowball and the fight resumed. Maybe half an hour passed before there wasn't enough snow on the ground for another snowball, and the four of them settled down for a nap.

Sorcermon was awoken when Patamon suddenly rolled off his head and landed in his lap, snorting cutely. Sorcermon chuckled, rubbing one of Patamon's ears and causing the Digimon to smile in his sleep. Sorcermon smiled as well, but suddenly stopped and quickly drew his hand away. _What am I doing? Child or not, this is my master. He's not my father or anything like that; it would be foolish to think Lord Seraphimon and I had any sort of personal relationship. _Sorcermon sighed softly before gently picking up Patamon and lying him on the ground. The ice Majin took up his staff and jumped up onto a nearby boulder, sitting down and staring out at the landscape. He scanned the area, keeping a watchful eye out for danger. _I cannot forget why I am here. I'm a protector, and will die doing it if necessary. Anything to keep my master and to keep my friends safe. _Sorcermon sighed again. _I wonder what Tommy's doing now. Maybe he, J.P., and Zoe found out more about the Rose Morning Star. If only I knew more about it. Then again, I never came to the Continent of Darkness before. Tommy….why do my thoughts linger on you? And why do I find myself….missing your company?_

"Hey Sorcermon."

Sorcermon jumped a little and turned to see Patamon appeared beside him. He moved over to allow the child Digimon to sit next to him. "Hello, milord."

"You don't have to call me that, Sorcermon." Patamon said.

"Of course I do." Sorcermon insisted. "You are my master, and I will treat you with respect."

"But you're my friend too." Patamon said. "You can just call me 'Patamon.'"

Sorcermon kept his stare out on the landscape. "Very well. But I will continue showing you the respect you deserve."

Patamon stared at Sorcermon curiously before following the Majin's gaze out to the landscape. "So whatcha thinkin' about?"

"Nothing really." Sorcermon shrugged. "Mostly Tommy. And the rest of the Legendary Warriors, of course."

"You really care about them, huh?" Patamon guessed.

"They saved my life, and they're the only hope for the Digital World." Sorcermon replied simply. "I must protect them no matter what the cost."

"But aren't they your friends?" Patamon asked.

Sorcermon smiled softly. "Yes. I like to see them as such. I'm hoping they see me in a similar way."

"I think they do." Patamon nodded. "And I don't think they would want you to get hurt protecting them."

"I made a promise to guard them with my life." Sorcermon protested. "I don't like to break promises."

"Have you come close to dying for them before?" Patamon asked.

Sorcermon thought back to all their fights. Pain from past wounds seemed to flare up again. _Huh, more often than I've thought. _But he only shrugged. "Once or twice."

If Patamon knew Sorcermon lied, he didn't show. "Don't you think you're worrying them by doing that?"

"If I die for the sake of keeping them alive, aren't I just being a good friend?" Sorcermon asked, sounding more curious than defensive.

"Or you might be hurting the people you care about by being too overprotective and too willing to sacrifice yourself." Patamon said wisely. "Remember what J.P. said? We all have a purpose in this world, and I don't think you were born just to die."

Sorcermon stared at Patamon in surprise, and then his gaze shifted to the ground as he pondered the younger Digimon's words. He sighed. "I guess I haven't found what my life is worth. I feel like I mean nothing compared to the others. I mean, they're _Legendary Warriors_ for Sovereigns' sakes. I'm just…me….."

"Maybe that's all they need." Patamon said.

Sorcermon still stared at the ground, but a sound caught his attention. He looked up, but saw nothing. Only he could've sworn he heard something like footsteps.

There it was again. Hurried footsteps, but no sign of anything.

"Patamon, wake up Bokomon and Neemon, but be quiet." Sorcermon whispered, standing in his spot and gripping his staff tightly. Patamon nodded fearfully and hurried to do just that. Bokomon and Neemon seemed surprised and a little irritated about being woken, but went silent when they noticed how tense Sorcermon seemed. The ice Majin stared out at the landscape, listening to the sound of footsteps but never seeing a thing. His skin crawled, and he gripped his staff tighter in an attempt to rid himself of the fear. Finally, he swallowed and called out, "Tommy? Takuya? Is that you?"

Silence.

Sorcermon didn't dare lower his defensive stance….

…allowing him to hold up his staff in time for a Digimon to slam into him.

He grunted in pain as the force of the Digimon's weight hitting him forced them both off the rock and to the ground. While holding up his staff didn't stop the attack itself, it prevented the beast's teeth from digging into Sorcermon's flesh. Sorcermon was vaguely aware of Patamon screaming his name in fear, but he kept his focus on the cat-like Digimon trying to tear him in half. Once he got past the snarling mouth full of sharp teeth and wicked, sickly green eyes, Sorcermon could finally see that the entirety of the cat Digimon's body seemed to be made of fire.

"Oh no, it's a Lynxmon!" Bokomon cried, confirming Sorcermon's guess. He managed to kick a foot up and Lynxmon flew over his head, tumbling to one side. Sorcermon jumped to his feet, as did the Lynxmon, but the cat suddenly caught sight of Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon as the three Digimon cowered in fear. Sorcermon quickly put himself between them and the fiery cat Digimon, who hissed at him.

"You three stay back." Sorcermon ordered. "Run and hide when you get the chance."

"But Sorcermon—" Patamon started, concern in his tone.

"Don't worry." Sorcermon assured. "I'll catch up when I'm done here." The Lynxmon lunged, and Sorcermon met the opponent head-on. He smacked the cat aside, watching his friends suddenly take off to the forest out of the corner of his eye. Lynxmon stood quickly, prowling towards Sorcermon. The ice Majin stood ready, Seraphimon's and Cherubimon's training drills involuntarily replaying in his head. Instinct took over as Lynxmon lunged again, this time in a zig-zag pattern that almost caught Sorcermon off-guard had Cherubimon not taught him how to react to that. Jumping back, Lynxmon's claws only whooshed past his face as the cat missed, giving Sorcermon time to lunge and punch the cat Digimon's jaw. Lynxmon snapped his teeth, missing Sorcermon again as the Majin swiped his staff across the cat's face. He launched a Crystal Barrage, forcing Lynxmon to fly backwards and crash into a rock. Lynxmon snarled, stubborn as ever, and charged once more. Sorcermon could almost hear Seraphimon's voice in his head, instructing him on dodging and striking in a swift, precise movement. Adjusting his footing, Sorcermon managed to slide to one side and avoid Lynxmon's lunge, swinging his wand to hit the cat Digimon's head and knock it out cold. Making sure Lynxmon was truly incapacitated, Sorcermon nodded in satisfaction and hurried off towards the forest.

"Patamon! Bokomon, Neemon! Where are you?" Sorcermon called.

"Sorcermon!" The ice Majin jumped when Patamon suddenly appeared seemingly out of nowhere, almost tackling Sorcermon in a tight hug. Sorcermon was a bit surprised to find Patamon shook a little, but pushed it aside and gently wrapped his arms around the smaller Digimon. "I was really worried about you." Patamon whimpered, his voice muffled as he buried his face into Sorcermon's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Sorcermon assured. "Where are Bokomon and Neemon?"

"Right here!" Bokomon called as he and Neemon hurriedly slid down the tree they previously climbed for safety.

"Did you beat that nasty kitty cat?" Neemon asked.

"Yes, but now we have a problem." Sorcermon said as Patamon finally calmed down enough to let go of him. "If the others return and that thing hasn't left yet, they'll be in danger."

"So what do we do?" Bokomon asked.

"We _carefully _head back and see if the Lynxmon leaves." Sorcermon decided. "If he doesn't, we'll have to find a different place to wait until the others return."

Patamon looked past Sorcermon and suddenly shouted in surprise. Sorcermon barely had time to turn around before Lynxmon suddenly landed on his back. Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon jumped back, wanting to run but refusing to leave Sorcermon. But they could only stare in horror as Sorcermon's pained screams rang out. Lynxmon's claws raked across his back, but he managed to twist his body and smack the cat Digimon off him. Sorcermon pushed himself to his feet, only for Lynxmon to tackle him to the ground. Dazed, the moment of hesitation allowed Lynxmon to suddenly grab Sorcermon in his teeth and throw the Majin against a tree. Sorcermon's head hit the bark at the base of the tree, and before he could rise again Lynxmon jumped on top of him and pressed a paw against the Majin's neck. The weight of the cat Digimon pushing him onto the tree roots left Sorcermon gasping and coughing for a full breath, struggling to rise.

"Leave him alone!" Patamon suddenly shouted. _"Boom Bubble!" _He grew to a more rounded size, filling full of air before letting it loose onto Lynxmon. The small attack barely had any effect, but Lynxmon growled in irritation. Patamon wouldn't be deterred, actually glaring of all things. "I said leave him alone!"

"Patamon!" Sorcermon gasped, feeling his muscles begin to go limp. "Run…!"

"_Boom Bubble!" _Patamon let out another attack, and this time Lynxmon turned and snarled at the smaller Digimon. Patamon suddenly flew back into Bokomon's arms, the three small Digimon shaking fearfully. Lynxmon began advancing towards them, leaving Sorcermon gasping and coughing as he tried to catch his breath again. He shakily turned and tried to push himself upright, only for his arms to give out and force him to the ground again.

"No…" Sorcermon rasped, staring fearfully as Lynxmon got closer and closer to Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon. The three Digimon seemed frozen with fear, only staring and whimpering in terror as Lynxmon came closer. Sorcermon's gaze focused mostly on Patamon, who trembled fiercely and stared at him pleadingly.

Something sparked in Sorcermon's heart. A mix of emotions from concern to anger.

"Leave him alone…"

Sorcermon's eyes shut and he began shaking, but this time because of lividness.

"_Leave him alone."_

Lynxmon snarled, eliciting a fearful cry from Patamon.

Eventually, a single emotion overtook Sorcermon: hatred.

"_LEAVE HIM ALONE!"_

Sorcermon's eyes snapped open, still set in a furious glare as they glowed white.

Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon prepared for Lynxmon to tear them to pieces, but suddenly Sorcermon's enraged shout caught their attention. They stared in shock as Sorcermon, eyes glowing and burning with fury, lunged towards Lynxmon and tackled him aside. The two Digimon tumbled a bit before Sorcermon suddenly grabbed a fistful of Lynxmon's flaming fur and threw the cat Digimon into a tree. Not pausing for a second, Sorcermon lunged again. The snowflake ornament on his staff suddenly glowed briefly before converting into a blade in the shape of a crescent moon, making his weapon a scythe more than a wand. Sorcermon plunged the blade into Lynxmon, causing the cat Digimon to scream in pain as his fractal code appeared around him. The code flowed into the glowing scythe blade as the Digimon disappeared.

"He did it!" Bokomon cheered.

"Hooray!" Neemon called.

"Go Sorcermon!" Patamon laughed.

Sorcermon suddenly turned and swung the scythe blade, slicing a nearby tree cleanly through and causing a large portion of it to crash to the ground. Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon went silent, staring in shock when they realized Sorcermon' eyes still glowed and the scythe blade hadn't transformed back. Sorcermon didn't stop the rampage; he shot a blast of magic from his palm and destroyed a nearby boulder, sending small pieces of rock flying everywhere. Another swing of his scythe and yet another tree fell, this time much closer to Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon.

"Sorcermon, what are you doing?" Bokomon called.

"You think he's having a temper tantrum?" Neemon gulped. Sorcermon suddenly turned and focused fully on the three smaller Digimon, practically seething with rage. He lunged towards them, barely giving the three Digimon a chance to move before his scythe blade pierced the ground where they once rested.

"Run for it!" Bokomon cried, him and Neemon scrambling to their feet.

"No! We can't leave him!" Patamon cried, flying up and approaching Sorcermon. "Sorcermon! You've got to stop!" He yelped when Sorcermon swung the scythe and almost took his head off. The hamster-like Digimon hit the ground, scrambling backwards as Sorcermon advanced towards him. "Sorcermon, please! We're you're friends! Don't do this!"

"Sorcermon, stop!" Bokomon shouted. "You're going to kill someone!"

"You're not being very nice!" Neemon added.

Patamon's back hit a rock and he stared fearfully up at Sorcermon as the Majin raised his scythe, ready to bring it down on the younger Digimon. "Sorcermon, please stop!" Patamon called. But Sorcermon swung the staff down, stopped only when Bokomon and Neemon suddenly grabbed his cape and yanked on it. The surprise caught Sorcermon off-guard, but he sent Bokomon and Neemon tumbling with a single wave of a hand and a blast of magic. Patamon felt tears bubbling up, staring at the hateful glare in Sorcermon's still-glowing eyes.

"_Sorcermon!" _Patamon, Bokomon, and Neemon screamed.

Miles away, Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. were too busy mourning over a supposedly dying Angler Trailmon to see a light shoot from Tommy's D-Tector and streak across the sky like a comet. The light hit Sorcermon squarely in the back, where his heart lay, and he froze.

"_Sorcermon." _Ophanimon's voice spoke in the Majin's head. _"Be calm, dear friend. Remember who you are."_

Images flashed before Sorcermon's eyes.

Training with Seraphimon.

Learning about Beast Digimon from Cherubimon.

Reading and talking with Ophanimon.

Guarding Seraphimon's trapped form.

Meeting the DigiDestined.

Fighting Duskmon.

Defeating Mercurymon.

Laughing and talking with Tommy.

Fighting alongside the DigiDestined.

Tommy…smiling at him…trusting him…..

The light died to nothing, and Sorcermon's eyes stopped glowing as he stumbled back and collapsed to his knees. His staff fell free from his grip, the scythe blade seeming to shatter when it hit the ground and transforming back to a snowflake. Sorcermon dug his gloved fingers into the earth, his breathing labored and erratic. Bokomon, Neemon, and Patamon stared worriedly at the ice Majin, not sure whether or not to approach him. Patamon was the first to tentatively walk up to Sorcermon, reaching out to him.

"Sorcermon?" Patamon breathed.

The child Digimon jumped back when Sorcermon let out a strangled scream, throwing his wand to one side. He stumbled to his feet, leaning against a tree for support before punching the bark repeatedly, still shouting. Sorcermon shook fiercely, his body still winding down from the adrenaline rush. He shouted and punched the tree repeatedly for almost a full minute before he just slammed his head against the wood.

"_Damn it!" _Sorcermon screamed. _"Damn it damn it damn it DAMN IT TO FREAKING DIGI-HELL!"_

"I'm not sure I like his language but I'm too afraid to tell him." Bokomon whispered to Neemon, the two Digimon clinging to each other fearfully.

"Why me?" Sorcermon suddenly said, his voice lowered several notches in volume. He sank to his knees, leaning against the tree he previously used as a punching bag. "Why did it have to be me? Why do I have this power? _Why?!" _His breathing became labored again, and suddenly a lump began to form in his throat. "Why? All the training I've ever gotten…..I was never prepared to handle such power…so why in the Digi-hell was I given this…..this amount of power? Why give it to me…when I can't even control it?" He desperately tried to stop his tears, but couldn't prevent the sob from coming out of his throat. "Angel's _Blessing?" _He scoffed, his sorrow taking over as tears cascaded down his face. "More like Angel's Curse. I don't want it….I don't want it anymore….I wish I didn't have it!" His grip increased on the bark of the tree so much that he ended up tearing some pieces off.

Patamon sadly walked up to Sorcermon, staring up at the Majin with a small smile. "Sorcermon, it'll be okay. You'll figure it out, I'm sure." Sorcermon didn't answer, staring at the ground as his breathing became increasingly irregular. The hand that wasn't gripping the tree bark rested on his knee, twisting the fabric of his jumper so much he almost tore it. Patamon's smile disappeared, and he slowly reached out to take Sorcermon's hand. But the second he touched the glove, Sorcermon turned from him and collapsed to his side, leaning against the tree as sobs wrenched free from his throat. Patamon stared sadly, tears of his own slipping out as he stepped back and wondered what he could do to help. But he knew, deep down, he couldn't do anything. Bokomon and Neemon approached carefully, but stopped several feet away and simply watched the scene with sorrow and concern. Sorcermon continued to cry, unable to stop as he shook and nearly choked on his own tears.

In her golden cage of light, many miles away, Ophanimon felt her own tears fall.


End file.
